This soup is satisfying and hearty; the accoutrements give it an extra bit of pizzaz therefore I highly recommend going the extra mile. For a vegetarian option you can use vegetable broth and leave out the bacon substituting 3 T vegetable or olive oil instead, but the bacon fat does significantly boost the flavor. Duh Adapted from Fine Cooking Annual vol.1 For the avocado cream: 1 large avocado 3 T lime juice (fresh, please) 1/4 c sour cream or table crema 1/2 t kosher salt 1 green onion, chopped 1/2 t honey 1 cup cilantro Mix all the ingredients in a mini food processor until smooth. For the soup: 1 lb dried black beans 6 slices bacon, chopped 6 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 1 large celery stalk, chopped 1 medium carrot, diced 4 cups chicken broth 3 cups of water 2 bay leaves 2 t kosher salt 14 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes Put the dried beans in a large pot with water and bring to a boil; turn off the heat and let the beans soak overnight (or at least se...