Portuguese Bean Soup

1 cup dried red kidney beans
3 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup bacon fat
6 small potatos, diced
1 can tomato paste
2 quarts water
2 bay leaves
1 tsp allspice
salt and pepper

If you're using dry beans, soak and boil the beans until they just start to soften (1.5 hours or so).

Saute onions and garlic in fat until slightly brown. Add everything else except salt (salt will keep your beans from softening). Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour.