US Senate Bean Soup

Bean soup is on the menu in the Senate's restaurant every day. Some say the tradition was started by Senator Fred Dubois of Idaho, others say it was in 1903 by Senator Knute Nelson of Minnesota.

The recipe from Dubois includes mashed potatoes and makes a 5-gallon batch. The soup served in the Senate today does not include mashed potatoes.

The Famous Senate Restaurant Bean Soup Recipe
2 pounds dried navy beans
4 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 5 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.

SOUPTALE: In March 1998, Representative John Spratt, Jr. walked down the marbled steps near the Senate restaurant, slipped on spilled bean soup, and ended up with two small fractures in his right arm.