Step 1

To quickly soak the beans, place them in a pot, add the water, and stir in the salt and baking soda. Bring the pot to a boil on high, then turn off the heat and cover the pot and let it sit for 1 hour. (To slowly soak the beans, forgo the boiling, and simply let them sit in the salty water overnight.)

Step 2

Once the beans have soaked, pour them and the soaking liquid into a large bowl.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 275°F.

Step 4

Wipe out the pot you soaked the beans in, then add the oil to the pot and heat on medium-low. Add the onion to the pot and while stirring occasionally, cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.

Step 5

Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and oregano, then pour into the pot the beans and their soaking liquid. Add the bay leaf to the pot then cover and place the pot in the oven. Cook covered for 2 hours or until tender.

Step 6

While the beans are cooking, add the tomatoes and 1 of the ancho chiles to a large skillet and cover with water. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let them soak for 30 minutes. After this time, drain the tomatoes and ancho chile then place them into a blender.

Step 7

When the beans are done and tender, add them and their cooking liquid to the blender, then puree the cooked beans with the tomatoes and ancho chile until smooth.

Step 8

Wipe out the bean pot then pour the bean puree into the pot and simmer on low for 30 minutes or until flavorful and slightly reduced. Stir in the lime juice then taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.

Step 9

As the soup simmers, take the other ancho chile and cut it into thin strips. To fry the tortilla and ancho chile strips for garnishing, in a heavy skillet 1/2 inch of oil to 350°F. In batches, fry the tortilla strips until lightly browned and crisp, about a minute. Remove with a slotted spatula to a plate lined with a paper towel and lightly sprinkle with salt.

Step 10

For the dried chiles, use the same oil but only fry for 20-30 seconds or until just crisp. They can burn quickly so keep an eye on them. Also, remove them with a slotted spatula to the paper-towel lined plate.

Step 11

To serve the soup, top each bowl with the fried corn tortillas and ancho chile, avocado, and queso fresco.