Senate Bean Soup: A Recipe

When I was younger, every year we went to my great-aunt's house around Christmas time. Though there was minor variation from year to year, some standards could be counted on: chili, potato soup, and my grandmother's senate bean soup. For years I didn't even think about the soup's name; it was just the awesome bean soup with ham my grandmother made. But names don't generate spontaneously out of the ether: they have to originate somewhere. In this case, the "senate" in the name is the actual U.S. Senate, and this particular bean soup has apparently been a standard of the Senate restaurant for over a century. Below is my grandmother's version, which is substantially the same as those found at the link above. I made a batch last night and was rather pleased with the results.

GRANDMAMA'S SENATE BEAN SOUP

1 pound of dried navy beans
8 cups of water
A ham bone
2+ cups of cubed cooked ham
1/4 cup of diced onion
1/2 teaspoon of salt
A dash or two of pepper (I like it peppery!)

Soak the beans overnight, then drain and rinse them. Add the water and bring it to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for a hour. Add the remaining ingredients, then put the lid on and let it simmer for another hour or so. Stir the soup every so often to prevent sticking and that annoying foam that builds up and boils over unexpectedly; if the water level drops significantly, add more water. Once the beans are soft, the soup is done, so take out the bone and serve it up!