Recipe - Black And White Bean Soup With Tomatillo Salsa

1 cup Dried black beans; washed,
picked over
1 cup Dried white beans; washed,
picked over
8 cup Water
4 sl Bacon; coarsely chopped
2 lg Onions; minced
2 Carrots; peeled and minced
2 Garlic cloves; minced
1 teaspoon Coarse salt
1 lg Tomato; minced
2 Bay leaves
2 Canned chipotle chiles
6 cup Vegetable Stock; see * Note
1 Lime; halved
One half cup Madeira wine
Tomatillo Salsa (Green
Salsa); see * Note

* Note: See the "Vegetable Stock" and "Tomatillo Salsa (Green Salsa)"
recipes which are included in this collection.

Place the black beans in a medium saucepan with 4 cups of the water
and bring to a boil. Place the white beans in another medium saucepan
with remaining 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to
low, cover and cook until both pots of beans are soft, about 1 hour.
Remove from the heat. In another large saucepan, saute 2 slices of
the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon, saving grease
in pan. Add One half of the minced onions and all of the carrots and cook
over mediumlow heat until onions are lightly browned, about 15
minutes. Then add One half of the garlic and One half teaspoon of the salt,
stirring constantly, until the garlic aroma is released, 12 minutes.
Stir in the black beans and their liquid, along with the tomato, 1
bay leaf and 1 chipotle chile. Pour in 3 cups of the Vegetable Stock.
Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook,
uncovered, stirring occasionally, an additional 30 minutes. Repeat
the entire procedure with the white beans, using the remaining bacon,
onion, garlic, salt, bay leaf, chipotle chile and stock. Remove bay
leaves and transfer black bean mixture to a blender in batches and
puree until smooth, pulsing the machine on and off until it begins to
liquefy. (Be sure to leave space for the air to escape.) Return to a
clean saucepan. Rinse out blender and repeat with white bean mixture.
Reheat soups over low heat, squeeze half of a lime into each and 1/4
cup of Madeira into saucepans and stir to blend. Adjust seasoning.
Using two ladles, carefully ladle the two soups side by side into one
bowl, so that half is black and half is white. Garnish with Tomatillo
Salsa. This recipe yields 4 to 6