Wash and pick over beans carefully to remove any stones that may have gotten into the bag during the harvesting process.

Cover beans with water and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Cover and allow to sit for 1 hour. Meanwhile, sauté garlic and onion (and fresh ancho or poblano pepper, if using) in a tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside.

After beans have soaked for 60 minutes, add meats and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Uncover and simmer until soup is desired consistency. Add sauteed onion and garlic in olive oil.

Soup may be thickened by removed 1/4 cup or so and processing in a blender until pureed (or use a hand blender). Return puree to soup. Or simply mash some of the beans with a fork and return to the soup.

Note: As soup cooks, add water or broth as needed. Some beans absorb more water than others based on how long they've been stored.

Submitted by: CM