Senate Bean Soup
intro
Smoky, creamy white bean soup with tender ham, a century-old staple of the U.S. Senate dining room, beloved for its simple, rich, comforting flavor.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep base ingredients
Rinse 450g dried great northern beans under cold running water, sifting through to remove any small stones, debris, or shriveled beans. Dice 150g yellow onion, 120g celery, and 100g carrot into 1cm uniform pieces; mince 10g garlic. Pat 340g smoked ham hocks dry with paper towels and set all prepped ingredients aside.
Sauté aromatic vegetables
Melt 28g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter in a 5L heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrot, cooking for 7 minutes while stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften and turn translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant—do not let the garlic turn brown, as it will become bitter.
Simmer beans and ham
Add the rinsed beans, smoked ham hocks, 2 whole bay leaves, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1900ml (8 cups) cold water to the stockpot. Bring the liquid to a full rolling boil over high heat, then immediately reduce heat to low to maintain a gentle, steady simmer. Place the pot lid slightly ajar, and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes to prevent beans from sticking and burning on the pot bottom.
Remove ham to cool
After 90 minutes of simmering, use long metal tongs to carefully lift the ham hocks and bay leaves out of the soup. Transfer the ham hocks to a clean cutting board, and discard the bay leaves. Let the ham hocks rest for 10 minutes until they are cool enough to handle without burning your fingers.
Thicken soup base
Use an immersion blender to blend roughly one-third of the soup directly in the pot for 10 to 15 seconds, creating a creamy, thickened base while leaving most beans whole for texture. If you do not have an immersion blender, scoop 480ml (2 cups) of soup into a countertop blender, remove the center cap to vent steam, blend until smooth, then stir the puree back into the pot. Keep the soup at a low simmer while prepping the ham.
Finish and season soup
Once the ham hocks are cool, pull the tender smoked meat away from the bones, skin, and excess fat, discarding the inedible parts. Chop the ham into 1cm bite-sized pieces, then stir the pieces back into the soup. Add 1.5 teaspoons of kosher salt, stir to combine, then simmer for 5 additional minutes over low heat to warm the ham through. Taste and adjust salt or pepper if needed before serving.
Tips
2.For the best flavor, make the soup a day in advance: the beans will absorb the smoky ham taste as it chills, and the texture will thicken to a perfect creamy consistency.
3.If using a countertop blender to puree hot soup, remove the blender lid’s center vent cap and cover the opening with a folded kitchen towel to release steam and avoid dangerous pressure buildup.
OMG this is exactly the Senate bean soup I remember getting on a high school trip to DC! I was worried it would be too fussy for a weeknight but it’s actually so easy, even my teen who hates beans went back for a second bowl. Served it with cornbread for our Sunday family dinner and everyone asked for the recipe. Total game changer for my fall soup rotation!
Made this for our neighborhood potluck last weekend and it was a huge hit! Only note is I added a little extra smoked ham hock because we love that deep, smoky flavor down here. Cook time was totally accurate, didn’t have to hover over the stove at all which is a win when you’re juggling 3 other potluck dishes.
SO good, I make a big batch of this every Sunday and portion it out for work lunches all week. It holds up perfectly in the fridge and actually tastes better on day 2 and 3! Super easy to throw together even after a long day, no fancy ingredients needed. 10/10
This was my first time ever making bean soup from scratch and it turned out pretty great! My only issue is my beans were still a little crunchy after the full 2 hour simmer — did I do something wrong? Flavor was spot on though, my roommate ate half the pot in one sitting.
Grew up eating this at my grandpa’s house every Thanksgiving and I’ve been chasing that flavor for years. This recipe is dead on! The smell while it simmers takes me straight back to being 8 years old sitting at his kitchen table. Served it at our Friendsgiving last night and not a single drop was left.
Holy cow this is so cheap to make! I fed my family of 4 for under $10 total and we had leftovers. So much better than the canned soup I usually buy, and it’s easy enough that I don’t have to stress about messing it up. New go-to for cold winter nights.
My kids loved it!!! I was fully expecting them to turn their noses up at bean soup but they each had two bowls and asked if we could have it again next week. I tossed in a handful of chopped carrots and celery like my mom used to, and it worked perfectly. Easy enough to make while helping with homework!
Has anyone tried making this vegetarian? I want to make it for my book club next week but a couple members don’t eat pork. The flavor base sounds so good I don’t want to pick a different soup!
It’s finally soup season in Chicago and this is the first recipe I pulled out. Let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint. Rich, savory, perfectly creamy without adding any weird thickeners. I ate three bowls straight from the pot when it was done, no shame.
I was skeptical a website recipe would get the classic Senate soup right, but this is spot on. The balance of ham, bean, and that subtle onion and celery base is exactly what they serve in the Capitol dining room. Easy to follow instructions, no unnecessary fussy steps, great work.
Pro hack! I used a leftover holiday ham bone I had stashed in the freezer from Christmas for this and it was chef’s kiss. No need to buy a special ham hock if you have leftover ham bones lying around, it gives the same amazing smoky flavor. My whole house smelled incredible while this simmered!