Chef Bill Sr has gotten a query regarding one his favorite dishes — the U.S. Capitol Bean Soup. The dish is served every day in all 11 Capitol dining rooms at the demand, according to legend, of Speaker of the House Joseph G. Cannon.
Cannon, a Republican, represented various parts of Illinois from 1873 until 1923 with a two-year hiatus coming when he lost the 1912 election.
He served as Speaker from 1903 until 1911 and was the man who graced the first cover of Time Magazine on March 3, 1923.
The story is that one day during his Speakership, he sat for lunch, looked at the menu and shouted “Thunderation, I had my mouth set for bean soup! From now on, hot or cold, rain, snow or shine, I want it on the menu every day.”
And so it came to be.
Here is the recipe courtesy of Soupsong.com 
- 1 pound dry white beans, soaked overnight (or quick soaked)
- 1 meaty ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks
- 3 quarts water
- 3 onions, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 4 stalks celery, with leaves, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
- [Senate version: add 1 cup cooked mashed potatoes]
- salt and pepper to taste
Strain the water from the soaked beans and put in a big pot with 3 quarts of water and the ham bone or ham hocks. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.
Stir the veggies and herbs into the pot–and the mashed potatoes for the Senate version–and cook over low heat for another hour–until the beans are nicely tender.
Remove the bones from the pot then the meat into bits and return that to the pot. Discard the bones.
For authenticity crush a few of the beans in each bowl to thicken the broth.
I have this recipe from a package of Northern white beans. They called it Senate Bean Soup, but it called for diced potatoes, instead of mashed. It is an excellent soup. I like a hunk of pumpernickel bread and a double bock or a stout with mine.
It is delicious!
Hi Brad,
Yes the right name is Senate Bean Soup, You’re so right, it is delicious
I need to add, thank you for printing the story behind the soup. I knew it was served in the Senate’s dining room, and suspected that there was a story, but I never got to looking it up.