1
Discard any broken or discolored beans. Rinse and put in a pan. Add the rosemary, thyme, salt and bay leaves. Pour on the boiling water. Cook on medium low temp for about 2 hours or until beans are cooked and tender with no graininess. Remove the rosemary and thyme stems.
2
In Soup pot, cook the bacon slices, remove and chop. Reserve 2 tbsp of the bacon fat. Add onion, carrot, peppers and mushroom, cook until vegetables are just tender. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds more.
3
Add the chopped bacon and liquid iongredients. Bring to a boil, add the undrained beans and remaining ingredients except corn. Cook for 20-30 minutes on medium low heat, just to keep a slow boil. Add the corn and cook 10-15 minutes more.
4
Serve with cheese, sliced green onion and lime juice from fresh lime wedge.