Sort dry beans and remove any pebbles or overly dried beans.

Cover black beans with water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Alternatively, to quick soak the beans, cover them with water and bring to a boil and then turn off the heat and cover beans for an hour to soften

Drain soaking water and rinse beans.

In a large pot, cover the soaked beans with fresh water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add in a bay leaf, whole garlic cloves, and ½ an onion (not chopped) to flavor the beans. If desired, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for some heat.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the beans, partially covered, for 30-45 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises as they cook. The time will be longer if you're using older dried beans or live at higher altitude. Sample a few beans to check doneness before turning off the heat - they should be tender to the bite but not soft.

Remove the bay leaf, garlic cloves and the half onion. Season the beans generously with salt to your liking.

Dice onion and mince garlic.

In a soup pot over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add in minced garlic and sauté for an additional minute until aromatic.

Add in vegetable broth, black beans, fire roasted tomatoes, green chiles, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Simmer on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend to desired consistency (alternatively, transfer some soup into the blender and then return it to the pot).

Add in lime juice and serve topped with avocado, cilantro and yogurt.