Black Bean Soup

Beans!  An obsession in my house?  I think so.  Lots of flavor in this soup.  Warm, hearty and healthy!  My husband eats them alone, with steak or as dip.  The bacon is the most expensive part, but I would say the entire batch cost about $5.00.

1/4-1/3 lb Bacon
1 Large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
Handful of chopped cilantro
1 pound dry black beans
1 cube tomato bullion (in the store it's in Spanish "Pollo con Tomate")
               or 1 can chicken broth and one small can tomato sauce
1 tbsp. ground black pepper
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
Juice of 1 lime
2 bay leaves

1. Rinse beans and put in crock pot with 6 cups water, bullion cube
and dry spices
2. Cook the bacon and add to the crock pot
3. Add chopped garlic, onion, and cilantro to the bacon grease.  Cook
until clear.
4. Add onions to the crock pot.  Add lime juice.  Cook until beans are tender.

This takes many hours.  Overnight is best.