Black-Bean Soup

• Soup:
• 1 pound dried black beans
• 2 bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Toppings:
• 3 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips
• 6 tablespoons low-fat sour cream
• 6 tablespoons minced fresh onion
• 6 lime wedges

1. To prepare soup, sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain.
2. Cook the bacon in pan over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from pan. Add chopped onion, thyme, garlic, and bay leaves to bacon drippings in pan; saute for 4 minutes. Add beans, bacon, Chicken Stock, and 3 cups water to pan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add salt, and simmer for 30 minutes or until beans are tender. Discard bay leaves. Place half of bean mixture in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour bean puree into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining bean mixture. Add to bowl.
3. Preheat oven to 350u0b0.
4. To prepare toppings, place the tortilla strips in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350u0b0 for 12 minutes or until tortilla strips are toasted.
5. Ladle soup into each of 6 bowls, and top with tortilla strips, sour cream, and minced onion. Serve with lime wedges.

black beans, bacon, onion, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, water, salt, toppings, corn tortillas, lowfat sour cream, fresh onion, lime wedges

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/black-bean-soup-12 (may not work)