Black Bean Soup

Ingredients for 8 portions
½ pound of black beans
2 quarts of water
4 slices of frozen bacon cut in ¼ inch strips
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
½  red bell pepper, deveined , seeded and finely chopped
¼ cup of papelón (panela or piloncillo) in pieces
Coarse sea salt
2 cups of diced avocado for garnishing
1 cup of fresh cilantro leaves for garnishing

The night before, in a pot over medium heat, cook the black beans in water for about an hour. Turn off the heat and let stand overnight, covered. The following day, in a saucepan, over medium heat, cook the bacon until golden, for about 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until soft, 5 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the bacon sofrito to the pot with the black beans with the water, and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Lower the heat, add papelón and simmer covered for 1 hour or until the beans are soft. Salt to taste. Serve with some avocado and cilantro.

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