This recipe is a little different from many bean soup recipes in that
the beans are not soaked prior to cooking. Rather, it relies on a
long, slow cooking, which contributes much to this recipe's character.
Senate Bean Soup
16 cups (4 L) water
1+1/2 lbs (700 g) dried navy or pea beans,
washed and picked over
1 lb (450 g) smoked ham hocks
2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 Tbs (30 ml) butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat the water in a large pot until hot, but not boiling. Add the
beans and ham hocks and adjust the heat so the water barely bubbles.
Simmer slowly, covered, for 3 hours, stirring occasionally, and
adjusting the heat if necessary to keep the liquid from boiling.
Remove the ham hocks and remove the meat from the bones. Chop the
meat into bite-size pieces and discard the bones. Using a potato
masher or electric immersion blender, roughly mash the beans in the
kettle. The soup should be lumpy. Return the meat to the pot. If
the soup seems too thin, boil uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, stirring
frequently, until the soup has thickened slightly. Saute the onions
in a heavy skillet in the butter over moderate heat until richly
browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the browned onions to the soup and
continue to cook uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 8 to 12.