Happy April Fool’s Day! In honor of this auspicious occasion, I am presenting to you a recipe that has been enjoyed by fools for generations: Senate Bean Soup!
Many of the recipes on GypsyPlate will win your taste buds over with their big, bold flavors. Some will shock your eyes with their amazing Instagram-worthy aesthetics. This soup fits neither of those categories.
But, just as every story on the news doesn’t fill your heart with joy, not every recipe you cook will make your family not hate love you.
A History of Senate Bean Soup
Bean soup has been a cherished tradition in the United States Senate dining room since the early days of the 20th century. The exact origin of this tradition is unclear, but it has been on the menu almost every single day since.
On September 14, 1943, rationing due to World War II left the Senate kitchen without enough navy beans to serve the soup. This was such a big deal that it was reported in local newspapers.
After that catastrophe, no cook has dared to run out of beans, for fear of making a bunch of cranky old men even crankier.
Ingredient Notes
For exact ingredient amounts, see the recipe card at the end of this post. Here are the things you will need:
- Dried beans – Navy beans. They’re small enough that you don’t need to pre-soak them.
- Ham hock – Smoked.
- Butter – Salted.
- Onion – Diced.
- Salt
- Pepper
How to Make Senate Bean Soup
1. Cook: Place the beans, ham hock and water in a pot. Cover and simmer for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally and adding more water if desired.
2. Shred: Remove the ham hock. Pull the meat off of the bone and shred it with two forks.
3. Sauté: Melt butter in a skillet and sauté the onion for a few minutes until it becomes tender.
4. Mix: Add the shredded ham back into the soup, along with the sautéed onion. Stir it all up, adjust for salt and pepper.
Leftovers and Storage
Leftover Senate Bean Soup can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. Alternately, it can divided into disposable containers and given to neighbors.
Fun Facts
- It is believed that the original mandate to serve this soup daily was made by either Senator Fred Dubois, who was famous for seeking to disenfranchise Mormons, or Senator Knute Nelson, who attempted to illegally force the native Ojibwe people to relinquish most of their reservation lands. Neat!
- Even commoners like us can still enjoy this beloved bean soup at the U.S. Capital Visitor Center Café. At the time of this writing, it lists for only $6.55 per bowl.
- The Project Greek Island bunker, a Cold War-era emergency relocation center for Congress, included a cafeteria that would have served Senate bean soup. Priorities!
- Although Alpana initially refused to speak to me after trying this soup, I did manage to redeem myself somewhat by tweaking the recipe as described below.
Suggested Improvements
With a few additions, this soup wasn’t really that bad. I added the following flavor enhancers into the soup and let it simmer for a bit, but you can also add the first four items in with the onions while they are sautéing:
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- a few splashes of hot sauce
And, of course, keep adding salt until it tastes good.
If you’ve ever wanted to eat like a senator, now is your chance. Cook this bean soup for dinner tonight, and see what all the fuss is about!
More bean soup recipes:
Greek Fasolada
Tuscan Ribollita
Ham Bone Soup
Loubia
Lablabi
Recipe Video
Senate Bean Soup Recipe
Senate Bean Soup has been served every day in the U.S. Senate dining room every day for generations. Try it yourself, and see what all the fuss is about!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds dried navy beans
- 4 quarts water
- 1 large smoked ham hock
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the beans, ham hock and water in a pot. Cover and simmer for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally and adding more water if desired.
- Remove the ham hock. Pull the meat off of the bone and shred it with two forks.
- Melt butter in a skillet and sauté the onion for a few minutes until it becomes tender.
- Add the shredded ham back into the soup, along with the sautéed onion. Stir it all up, adjust for salt and pepper.
Notes
With a few additions, this soup wasn’t really that bad. I added the following flavor enhancers into the soup and let it simmer for a bit, but you can also add the first four items in with the onions while they are sautéing:
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- a few splashed of hot sauce
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 201Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 2gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 9mgSodium 90mgCarbohydrates 32gFiber 12gSugar 1gProtein 11g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former worldwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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