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DIRECTIONS

Pick through the beans, discarding any pebbles. Soak the beans in 8 cups water in a large bowl for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Note: The soaking can be omitted, but you'll need to cook the soup an extra 40 to 50 minutes.
Prepare the sofrito. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan. Add the onion, poblanos, red pepper, and garlic and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes, or until soft and fragrant but not brown. Stir in the cumin and half the cilantro, and cook the mixture for 2 minutes.
Transfer the beans with their soaking liquid to a large heavy pot. Stir in half the sofrito and the bouquet garni. Bring the beans to a boil, reduce the heat, and briskly simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour, or until beans are tender. The pot should be loosely covered. Add water as necessary to keep the beans submerged. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste during the last 15 minutes.
Discard the bouquet garni. Stir in the remaining sofrito, and the vinegar, Liquid Smoke (if using), salt, and pepper. Simmer the soup, uncovered, for 10 minutes more, or until the beans are very soft. Correct the seasoning, adding salt, cumin, or vinegar to taste: The soup should be highly seasoned.
Transfer 2 cups beans and broth to a blender or food processor and purée. Return this mixture to the soup. (This step is optional, but it will give you a thicker, creamier soup.)
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro. Place a dollop of sour cream in the center of each and serve at once.