Let’s prepare these delicious vegan baked beans from dried beans:

1. Soak the Dried Beans (Overnight Step):

• Rinse the 1 pound of dried navy beans thoroughly under cold running water. Pick over the beans and discard any debris or discolored/shriveled beans.
• Place the rinsed beans in a large saucepan or bowl. Add enough cold water to cover the beans by at least 2 inches.
• Cover the saucepan/bowl and let the beans soak overnight at room temperature (or for at least 8 hours).

2. Par-Boil the Soaked Beans:

• After soaking, drain the beans well and rinse them thoroughly, discarding the soaking liquid.
• Return the rinsed beans to the large saucepan. Add fresh cold water to cover the beans by about 2 inches.
• Place the saucepan over high heat and bring the water to a rolling boil.
• Once boiling, continue to boil the beans, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes of boiling, drain the beans well and rinse them again with cold water, discarding the boiling liquid. This par-boiling step helps them cook more evenly and can improve digestibility.

3. Prepare Slow Cooker and Sauce Ingredients:

• Generously grease the insert of your 3-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray or a little vegan butter/oil.
• Transfer the drained and rinsed par-boiled navy beans to the greased slow cooker.
• In a separate small bowl (or directly in the slow cooker with the beans), combine the 2 cups of water (this is the measured water for the sauce), the chopped medium onion, ½ cup molasses, ⅓ cup packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 2 teaspoons ground mustard, ½ teaspoon liquid smoke (if using), ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves.

4. Combine Beans and Sauce, Then Slow Cook:

• If you mixed the sauce ingredients in a separate bowl, pour the sauce mixture over the beans in the slow cooker.
• Stir everything gently but thoroughly to ensure the beans are well coated with the sauce ingredients.
• Cover the slow cooker securely with its lid.
• Cook on the LOW heat setting for 9-10 hours, or until the beans are very tender and the sauce has thickened to your liking. Avoid lifting the lid too often during cooking.

5. Rest and Serve:

• Once the beans are tender, you can turn off the slow cooker. If the sauce seems a bit thin, you can remove the lid and let the beans sit on “Keep Warm” or off for about 30 minutes to an hour to thicken up further.
• Serve the Slow-Cooker Vegan Baked Beans hot. Enjoy!

The overnight soak and par-boil are key for perfect bean texture