Senate bean soup

Votes: 2

Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Complexity: easily
Servings: 4

This bean soup has been served in the U.S. Senate dining room since the early 20th century, but it hasn't lost its popularity and has migrated into the homes of ordinary Americans, where it's adored for its simple ingredients, nutritiousness, heartiness, and warming flavor, especially needed during the colder months. The soup's main ingredients are white beans, ham, mashed potatoes for thickening, and vegetables—onions, celery, and garlic—which are roasted before adding to develop more flavor and aroma. Leftover mashed potatoes and ham from a holiday party are perfect for this soup.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

450 g dry white beans, sorted
450 g ham (preferably on the bone)
1 large potato, peeled and diced
0.5 cups of milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

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Recipes with similar ingredients: white beans, potato, celery, onions, parsley, milk, ham

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water in a ratio of 1:3. Leave in a cool place overnight.
Drain the beans and transfer them to a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add 10 cups of water and the ham. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1.5 hours. Transfer the ham to a plate to cool slightly, then remove the bone, if present, and dice the meat. Return the meat to the saucepan.

Meanwhile, cover the potatoes in a saucepan with water and season with salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 20-25 minutes. Drain the potatoes, transfer to a bowl, add milk, and mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth. Add the mashed potatoes to the bean soup and stir to distribute evenly.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and parsley and cook until the vegetables are translucent, 7-10 minutes. Add the vegetable mixture to the soup, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour, adding up to 2 cups more water if the soup is too thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Categories:

recipe / Comfort food / Winter dishes / Festive dishes / Dinner party / Soups / Meat soups / Food Network - recipes / American cuisine

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