Soak your legumes in plenty of water overnight.

Rinse them and place them in a wide saucepan.

Cover the contents with cold water and let it come to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium and boil for about 45 minutes until they’ve softened.

Cut the onions, tomatoes and peppers into thin slices.

In a deep pan, add half of the olive oil and the onions.

Leave them on medium heat for 4-5 minutes until they become translucent.

Add the whole garlic cloves and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Pour in 1 cup of hot water or broth and the remaining olive oil.

Add the bay leaves and a little oregano or thyme.

Cover the casserole and bake in a preheated oven at 200ºC for 30 minutes.

Lower the oven temperature to 170ºC and continue baking until the legumes absorb the liquids.

Serve warm with a slice of bread and cheese.