Classic American Senate Bean Soup Recipes

SENATE BEAN SOUP (THE OFFICIAL RECIPE)

Steps:

• Rinse the navy beans and pick over. Place beans into large pot with two quarts of cold water and the ham hock. Bring just to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for approximately three hours in a partially-covered pot, stirring occasionally, until the beans have fully softened.
• Remove ham hocks and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, lightly brown the onion in butter and add to the soup. Pull meat from the ham hocks and return to soup. Stir. Before serving, bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper.

U.S. SENATE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse and sort beans. Place beans in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 to 4 hours or until beans are softened., Drain and rinse, discarding liquid. In a large Dutch oven or soup kettle, place the beans, ham bone or hocks and 3 quarts water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 hours., Skim fat if necessary. Add the onions, garlic, celery, parsley, potatoes, salt and pepper; simmer 1 hour longer., Set aside ham bones until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Cut meat into bite-sized pieces and return to Dutch oven. Heat through. Sprinkle with parsley or chives.

SENATE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with about 3 times their volume of cold water. Soak overnight in a cool place.
• Drain the beans and transfer to a large pot or Dutch oven. Add 10 cups water and the ham. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the beans are tender, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Transfer the ham to a plate to cool slightly, then remove the bone, if used, and dice the meat. Return the meat to the pot.
• Meanwhile, cover the potato with water in a saucepan and season with salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potato is fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potato; transfer to a bowl with the milk and mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth. Add the mashed potato to the bean soup and stir until combined.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic and parsley and cook until the vegetables are translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the vegetable mixture to the soup, reduce the heat to low and cook 1 hour, adding up to 2 more cups water if the soup is too thick. Season with salt and pepper.

CLASSIC AMERICAN SENATE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Soak the beans in water overnight. Make sure the beans are covered with a couple of inches of water, as they can expand somewhat.
• Drain the beans.
• In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, combine the vegetable stock , the drained beans, and the ham hock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer .
• Simmer, covered, for 2 hours, occasionally skimming off any scum that forms on the surface.
• In a separate saucepan, heat the butter over a low-to-medium heat.
• Add the onion, celery, and garlic to the butter and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the onion is slightly translucent, stirring more or less continuously.
• Add the wine and cook for another minute or two or until the wine seems to have reduced by about half.
• Add the onion mixture, parsley, and the potato flakes to the soup and simmer for another hour or until the beans are tender.
• Remove the ham hock, pull the meat off the bone, and chop it up.
• Return the chopped meat to the soup. If necessary, add more stock or water to the soup to adjust the thickness.
• Season to taste with kosher salt and white pepper .
• Serve right away and enjoy!