Senate Bean Soup

This afternoon I whipped up a batch of Senate Bean Soup. This is yet another recipe we decided to try after watching Paula Deen. She said it was called Senate Bean Soup since it was the recipe that is served each and every day in the Senate’s restaurant. The United States Senate website does note that bean soup is served daily and gives two possible reasons behind the tradition. The first was that it began early in 20th-century at the request of Senator Fred Dubois of Idaho. The second story gives credit for the daily request to hat Senator Knute Nelson of Minnesota, who expressed his fondness for the soup in 1903.

One of the two recipes on the site indicates that mashed potatoes should be included in the soup. I followed the one from Paula, which is very close to the first one listed on the page I linked to above. Below is the recipe:

2 pounds dried navy beans
4 quarts water
1 1/2 pounds smoked ham hocks
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley for garnish

1. Wash the navy beans and soak them in water overnight. Drain and rinse.

2. Place beans into pot and cover with water. Add ham hocks and simmer approximately three hours in a covered pot, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove 2 cups of cooked bean and puree in blender, add back to mixture.

4. Remove ham hocks and set aside to cool. Dice meat and return to soup. Lightly brown the onion in butter. Add to soup.

5. Before serving, bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper, garnish with parsley. Serves 8.

The pureed beans helped to thicken up the soup and make it creamy. Overall, this is a very easy and tasty recipe. I gave my bowl a few dashes of Louisiana hot sauce for some added spice. Very tasty!