2 cups dried black beans, rinsed and picked over, then covered by at least double the height of water to soak. *See Notes
5 cups water
3 teaspoons salt, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large sweet potato, scrubbed, peeled, and diced into 1/8 to 1/4-inch cubes
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
1 medium carrot, peeled and minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded, stemmed, and diced
1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice (or unsweetened orange juice)
2 medium tomatoes, diced, or 1 small can of diced tomatoes
the zest of one orange
Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
fresh cilantro
hot sauce of choice
avocado cubes
crumbled crispy bacon