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Overhead shot of Senate Bean Soup in a white bowl.
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Senate Bean Soup

The iconic Senate Bean Soup recipe that's been a mainstay in the cafeteria of the U.S. Senate for generations. Featuring navy beans, a ham hock, and aromatic vegetables, these simple ingredients combine to create a soup that’s full of flavor and rich in history. Slightly altered from the original to combine two early versions of the recipe into one.
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword navy bean soup, senate bean soup
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Servings 6
Author Karen Gibson

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 cup chopped onions (one small or half a medium onion)
  • 1 cup chopped celery (about 2 ribs)
  • 3/4 pound ham hock or pork shank*
  • 1 pound dried navy beans
  • 8 cups water (plus extra)
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium, until the surface shimmers. Add half of the onions and celery and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
  • Scootch the veggies to the side place the ham hock in the pot, flatest side down. Sear all sides off the ham as best you can. Use tongs to hold the ham hock in place against the hot surface as needed. About 5 minutes total.
  • Pour the navy beans into a large bowl and pick through and remove debris and broken beans. Rinse and drain several times then add to the pot.
  • Add 6 cups of water to the pot and raise the heat to high. Bring the soup to a boil, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface. Let the soup boil hard for 10 minutes, then adjust the heat to maintain a bubbly simmer (not spitting, just where the bubbles break the surface). Cover the pot with the lid ajar to allow steam to escape.
  • The beans will need to cook for 2 to 3 hours: two hours if the beans are fairly fresh, and longer if they are not. Check the pot every 20 to 30 minutes, and add more water as needed to cover the beans. As you reach the end of cooking, you can add less water.
  • Test the beans for doneness by scooping out 2 beans and letting them cook a bit. Press one bean between your thumb and forefinger: it should easily smash flat. If it does, taste the second bean. It should be tender and savory. If the first bean is still undercooked, replace the lid set ajar and continue cooking the soup for another 30 minutes, then test again, keeping an eye on water levels.
  • When the beans are done, transfer the ham hock from the soup pot to a bowl to cool and turn off the soup's heat
  • Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the remaining onions and celery and saute until softened.
  • While the veggies saute, remove the meat from the ham hock and chop. Add some to the pan with the onions, stirring well, and then the rest goes in the soup. When the veggies are soft, scrape the skillet into soup. You can hold some veggies back for garnish, if you'd like.
  • Stir the soup well and taste. Add salt if the soup needs a little flavor boost.

Notes

* Weight is approximate - you might not have a choice, as they're often sold vacuum-sealed at the grocery store. As long as it fits in your pot with plenty of room for the beans, water, and lid, it'll be okay.