Winter is upon us here in Virginia, and that means it is soup season. There are plenty of places in the region to warm up with a steaming bowl of corn chowder or minestrone, but there’s only one place to get D.C.’s signature soup: The United States Senate.
Hearty bean soup has been on the menu in the Senate’s restaurant every day since at least 1903. You could say it’s a rare unanimous mandate. According to one story, the tradition was started by a Congressman from Idaho who contended the soup should always include mashed potatoes, presumably Idaho potatoes. Another story attributes the soup request to a Senator from Minnesota who simply loved the stuff, despite no obvious ingredient connection to his home state. Senate Bean Soup (the more common name for this dish) is so iconic that it has its own recipe page on the Senate website, one version with spuds and one without. It’s easy to see why it’s so popular.
For what it’s worth, whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, this delicious soup is clearly bipartisan. In my family, the only argument between my sisters is who gets to take home my mother's Christmas ham bone. I always win.
Capitol Hill (Senate) Bean Soup
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound dried white navy beans, sorted of debris, and rinsed
- 1 (about 1 pound) ham bone or ham hock
- 2 quarts water
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 3 cups chopped celery (about 6 stalks)
- 3 cups yellow onion (or 2 large onions)
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper (or more)
- ½ cup sour cream (optional)
- 1 sodium-free chicken bouillon granulated packet
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place beans in a Dutch oven; add water to cover, and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain beans. Add ham bone, stock and water. Cover and bring to a boil over high; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour.
- Rinse, peel, and dice potatoes. Boil for 15 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain and roughly mash potatoes. Stir potato, celery, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper into bean mixture; simmer over medium-low until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Remove ham bone from Dutch oven, and let stand until cool enough to handle about 20 minutes. Remove and discard bone and fat; dice meat, and stir into bean mixture.
- Add chicken bouillon packet and sour cream if using. Stir until well combined and add more salt and pepper to desired taste. Top each serving with chopped parsley. Note that you can also add parsley directly to the pot of soup and stir until mixed. Serve immediately and enjoy!
