Senate Bean Soup

Bean soup is on the menu in the Senate's restaurant every day. There are several stories about the origin of that mandate, but none has been corroborated.

According to one story, the SenateâÂÂs bean soup tradition began early in the 20th-century at the request of Senator Fred Dubois of Idaho. Another story attributes the request to Senator Knute Nelson of Minnesota, who expressed his fondness for the soup in 1903.

The recipe attributed to Dubois includes mashed potatoes and makes a 5-gallon batch. The recipe served in the Senate today does not include mashed potatoes, but does include a braised onion. Both Senate recipes are below.

The Famous Senate Restaurant Bean Soup Recipe

2 pounds dried navy beans

four quarts hot water

1 1/2 pounds smoked ham hocks

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper to taste

Wash the navy beans and run hot water through them until they are slightly whitened. Place beans into pot with hot water. Add ham hocks and simmer approximately three hours in a covered pot, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hocks and set aside to cool. Dice meat and return to soup. Lightly brown the onion in butter. Add to soup. Before serving, bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Serves 8.

Bean Soup Recipe (for five gallons)

3 pounds dried navy beans

2 pounds of ham and a ham bone

1 quart mashed potatoes

5 onions, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

four cloves garlic, chopped

half a bunch of parsley, chopped

Clean the beans, then cook them dry. Add ham, bone and water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and mix thoroughly. Add chopped vegetables and bring to a boil. Simmer for one hour before serving.

Lima Bean Soup

1 large ham hock (at least the size of a large fist)
2 large onions, diced
3 big ribs of celery, sliced 1/4" thick
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 large carrots, sliced/diced
1 16-oz bag dried lima beans, rinsed and picked over
1 large bay leaf
S & P to taste

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a stockpot over med-high heat, sear the ham hock on all sides. Add onion and garlic and stir to deglaze. Add the bay leaf, 3 qts water, and the lima beans. These are not presoaked - some of them will split in cooking, and thicken the soup naturally. Reduce heat to medium and simmer. After an hour, add celery and carrots, continue simmering until beans are soft and meat is falling from bone. Remove ham hock and shred the meat before returning it to the pot. Season to taste. Soup will thicken considerably once cooled.

Optional: To deepen the color of the broth, add your choice of soy sauce, beef base,
or powdered onion soup mix before seasoning.

Ham and Beans, have a big pot of this on the stove now. No recipe. Always make when I bake a ham. Soak about 2 cups of pinto beans in cold water over night. Throw the ham bone and residual meat in a big pot. Toss in the beans. Add lots of diced carrots, celery and onion. Add a few chopped cloves of garlic. Sprinkle with seasoning salt and cracked pepper. Add about a teaspoon of chili powder Add water, vegetable broth or chicken broth to cover, plus about an inch more. Bring to almost a boil (don't boil or beans will burst), cover, turn heat down to med low and let simmer all day. I use a big slotted spoon to strain out the bones and kind of shred or chunk the ham up a little better. Serve with cornbread. Yum! Can't wait to get home now. LOL

Everything sounds so delicious! I am so happy fall is here so we can start making soups, stews and chilis.

BLACK BEANS

Serves: 8

1 lb dry black beans
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut in quarters or diced
1 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
salt to taste

Wash beans well and remove any bad beans and debris. Place beans in glass bowl and cover with water and soak overnight.

Wash and seed bell pepper and cut in quarters. (You can chop it if you prefer, if you donâÂÂt like to eat it, but do like the flavor it lends, pull the quarters out before eating.). Dice onion and garlic (I use a garlic press).

Place the beans with the water in which they soaked in 6 Qt pressure cooker. Add extra water if needed to have 1" over beans. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Cool cooker quickly and check consistency of beans. If not tender enough close cooker and do another 10 minutes and check again. If there is too much liquid, leave cover off and boil to reduce some of the liquid. There should be some liquid, but it should not be thin and soupy.

Some family members like to add a tablespoon of sherry vinegar before serving. Beans can be successfully frozen for a long time.

Some cooks prefer to make a sofrito in the pressure cooker first, with the olive oil, onion, garlic. pepper and oregano before adding the beans and the bay leaf. It turns out well done either way ��" do whatever you prefer.

If you like, remove about half of soup from pot and puree with a blender, and then return to pressure cooker.

Adjust seasoning as needed. Add water if needed for desired consistency. Black bean soup may be served over rice and garnished with your choice of lime juice, sour cream, avocado, chopped onions, grated cheese, parsley or cilantro, tortilla chips or cornbread.

For Crockpot: Soak beans overnight in crockpot, add veggies to the crock or sauté the veggies, then add to the crock. Add oregano, bay leaves, and salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low or until beans are tender but not mushy.

For Stovetop: Soak beans overnight in saucepan. Add veggies to the saucepan or sauté the veggies first, then add to the pan. Add oregano, bay leaves, and salt and pepper. Simmer 2 to 2 1/2 hours until beans are tender but not mushy. Stir several times each hour.

No recipe, usually use Great Northern beans soaked and cooked with some bacon most of the time, sometimes ham. Just some chopped up onion and salt and pepper. Served with cornbread most of the time. If there is a lot of broth sometimes make flat rolled out dumplings and cook in the broth, serve with mashed potatoes.

Sue

This is delicious. I omit the cilantro

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch of ground chili powder or cayenne, more to taste

1 quart chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup red lentils

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro.

1. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and saute until golden, about 4 minutes.

2. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and saute for 2 minutes longer.

3. Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.

4. Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, puree half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.

5. Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.

Yield: 4 servings.

Oh we love beans so I have several good ones. all are tried and true and often made here.

Black Bean Creole

Ingredients

3 pounds smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, partially drained
1-1/2 cups onions, chopped
1-1/2 cups green pepper, chopped
1-1/2 cups celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons leaf thyme
1-1/2 teaspoons leaf oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 chicken bouillon cube
5 bay leaves
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup water
Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. Remove bay leaves. Serve with corn chips, cheese and sour cream. Or over cooked rice.
*can use dried beans just soak well over night and adjust cooking time.

Navy Bean and Ham soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound dried navy beans

1 cup onions, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1 cup tomatoes, diced

1 cup potatoes, diced

1 cup cabbage, chopped

1/2 cup elbow macaroni
2 cups lean ham, diced

1/2 cup green onions, sliced

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 tsp salt

black pepper to taste

hot sauce to taste

METHOD:

Rinse the beans under cold running water. You may wish to soak the beans in cold water overnight to cut the cooking time by one-third. Place the beans in a large cast iron Dutch oven and cover by 2 inches with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook approximately 1 hour or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Add onions, celery, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, macaroni and ham. Blend well into the bean mixture and cook 20 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to add water to retain desired consistency. Add green onions and parsley. Season to taste using salt, pepper and hot sauce. NOTE: When stirring beans during the cooking process, mash approximately half of the beans by pressing the cooking spoon against the inside of the pot. This will give the navy bean soup a creamy consistency.

Of course for those that all for canned beans you can use soaked beans and know that your cooking time will be affected using raw beans.

Homesick TexanâÂÂs Ranch style beans

16 oz. of dried pinto beans
6 ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 15-oz. can of tomatoes (or 2 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 cup of water
6 cups of beef broth
Salt and black pepper to taste

Soak the beans covered in water��"either overnight or the quick soak method in which you place the beans in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat and let sit for one hour.

Drain the soaked beans.

In a cast-iron skillet heated up to medium high, cook the anchos on each side for a couple of minutes (or until they start to bubble and pop), turn off the heat and fill the skillet with warm water. Let them sit until soft and rehydrated, which should happen after half an hour or so.

In the pot youâÂÂll be cooking your beans, heat up a teaspoon of canola oil and cook the onions for ten minutes on medium. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Throw the cooked onions and garlic in a blender and add the tomatoes, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, paprika, cumin, oregano, water and hydrated ancho chiles. Puree until smooth.

Add the pinto beans and beef broth to the pot and stir in the chile puree. On high, bring the pot to a boil and then cover; turn the heat down to low and simmer for two and a half hours, stirring occasionally. At this point, I check my beans for tenderness as depending on the freshness of the beans I find that the cooking time can be as short as two and a half hours and as long as four hours. When you're satisfied that the beans are done, salt and pepper to taste.

Feeds four to six.

Notes: If you canâÂÂt find dried ancho chiles, you can substitute either ancho chile powder or regular chili powder. IâÂÂd use 1/4 of a cup. These are not fiery beans, but if you want a bit more heat I'd throw in a bit of Cayenne. And I always add a pinch of baking soda to my soaking beans to help with digestion issues. You may do the same.

Chef Paul PrudhommeâÂÂs Red Beans and Rice with Ham Hocks

1 lb dried red kidney beans (try to find the small red beans instead of kidney beans)
water, to cover the beans
3 1/2 lbs ham hocks
16 cups water
2 1/2 cups celery, finely chopped
2 cups onions, finely chopped
2 cups green bell peppers, finely chopped
5 bay leaves
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 lb andouille sausages, cut diagonally into 3/4-inch pieces

Cover the beans with water 2" above beans. Let stand overnight. In the morning, drain the soaking water off just before using.

Place the ham hocks, 10 cups of the water, celery, onions, bell peppers, bay leaves, and seasonings in a 5.5 qt saucepan or large Dutch oven; stir well. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until meat is fork tender, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hocks from pan and set aside.

Add the drained beans and 4 cups of the water to the pan; bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasinally.Add the remaining 2 cups of water and simmer 30 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in the Andouille and continue simmering until the beans start breaking up, about 35 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan fairly often. Watch carefully so beans do not scorch.

Add the ham hocks and cook and stir 10 minutes more.

Serve immediately over hot, white rice.

Provençal Beans

14 ounces dried Great Northern beans or can use dried Canellini
1 quart homemade chicken stock or canned broth
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
1 cup medium-diced carrots (2 carrots)
1 cup medium-diced celery (2 stalks)
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the beans in a bowl and cover with water. Soak in the refrigerator overnight.

Drain the beans, place in a large saucepan with the chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Drain, reserving the stock.

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil, then add the onions, diced carrots, and celery, and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender. Add the parsley, garlic, rosemary, and thyme and cook for 1 more minute. Add the beans and 2 cups of the stock. Cook for 15 minutes until the stock makes a little sauce, adding more stock if necessary. Finish with the Parmesan cheese. Serve with a garnish of chopped parsley

Beans with Fried Onions (Frijoles con Cebollas Fritas)

1 lb dried pinto beans, picked over and rinsed
2 onions, chopped
10-12 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp dried oregano (preferably the Mexican variety)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup lard (can sub corn or vegetable oil, but lard is used in Mexico)
1/2 cup crumbled Mexican cotija cheese, or mild feta cheese

Put the beans, half the onions, the garlic, and oregano in a large pot. Add enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered until the beans are tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Season with the salt and pepper and continue cooking until the liquid thickens and the beans are soft.

Remove from the heat and let the beans cool to room temperature. Heat the lard in a large
skillet over medium heat and saute the remaining onions, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Add about 2 cups of the beans and mash with a potato masher or wooden spoon until thick and smooth.

Add the remaining beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Most of the
beans should still be whole. Transfer to a serving platter and top with the crumbled cheese. Serves 6 to 8.

Unfried refried beans

1 onion, peeled and halved
3 C. dry pinto beans
1/2 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped
2 T. minced garlic
5 tsp. salt
1 3/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/8 tsp. cumin
9 C. water

Place onion and next 6 ingredients in slow cooker. Pour in water and stir to combine. Cook on high for 8 hours adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 C water has evaporated during cooking, temp. is too high. Once beans have cooked, strain them and reserve the liquid. Mash with potato masher adding reserved liquid as need to attain desired consistency.

I have never added more water and I just use an immersion blender, blending all the liquid with the beans. This makes a lot and it freezes well. Even DH, who doesn't like refried beans, likes these.