Senate Bean Soup

Senate Bean Soup

🇺🇸 Senate Bean Soup 🇺🇸

Today, March 30, 1940, we are dining at the United States Senate Office Building Restaurant. We choose a bowl of “Old-Fashioned Bean Soup” for 15 cents, a “Lettuce Salad” for 15 cents, “Iced Tea” for 5 cents, and a cup of “Coffee” before we go back to the office, for another 5 cents. The bill for our very pleasant luncheon in the Senate dining room is 40 cents each.

Bean soup has been a required and beloved menu tradition in Senate restaurants for well over a century. There are competing stories about the origin of the mandate that bean soup be served daily.

According to one story, the Senate’s bean soup tradition began early in the 20th century at the request of Senator Fred Dubois of Idaho, who as chair of the committee overseeing the Senate Restaurant, passed a resolution in the committee requiring that bean soup be on the menu daily.

Another story attributes the request to Senator Knute Nelson of Minnesota, who expressed his fondness for the soup in 1903 and insisted that it be on the menu each day.

Lunch in the Senate Dining Room

The name change from “Old-Fashioned Bean Soup” to “Senate Bean Soup” on the Senate menu occurred in 1977. This change was part of a broader update to the Senate restaurant’s offerings and menu presentation, aiming to modernize and capitalize on the soup’s long-standing popularity and association with the U.S. Senate.

Senate Bean Soup Menu

There are two official recipes for Bean Soup on the government website senate.gov here. My recipe combines elements from both of them.

One includes mashed potatoes, celery, garlic, and parsley, the other does not. One includes butter, the other does not. One uses ham and a ham bone, the other uses smoked ham hocks.

In my recipe I add celery and garlic but do not include potatoes. And because we are fans of onion, celery, garlic and smoked ham, my recipe includes proportionally more of these ingredients than the originals. I also finish the soup with a sprinkling of parsley.

P.S. There are no carrots in Senate Bean Soup.

Senate Dining Room Menu

Senate Bean Soup Recipe

Continue reading “Senate Bean Soup”

Gochujang Sloppy Joes

Gochujang Sloppy Joes

Gochujang Sloppy Joes

In the early 70s, my high school cafeteria lunch was almost always a sloppy joe sandwich with a bag of Cheetos and a cold bottle of Coke. Diet Coke hadn’t been invented yet. And there was only one type of Cheetos, Crunchy. Baked Cheetos and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos would come later.

I also remember my mother making tasty sloppy joes for dinner with three ingredients: ground beef, ketchup, and mustard. No measuring, she just added ketchup and mustard to the browned beef. Served it on hamburger buns or white bread (it was Wonder, which helped build strong bodies 12 ways). 💪

It has been decades since I’ve had (or even wanted) a sloppy joe sandwich. But after coming across several intriguing sloppy joe recipes on the internet that included gochujang, I had to try my own version.

Now these Gochujang Sloppy Joes are much spicier and more complex than old-school style. Gochujang is a Korean red chili paste with sweet heat and a fermented umami richness. It has a balanced fruitiness, slight smokiness and depth of flavor from the sun-dried Korean red peppers. Gochugaru, also made from sun-dried red peppers, is a coarse-ground chili powder. Together, they give this messy sandwich its distinctive Korean spiciness.

Gochujang Sloppy Joes Recipe

Continue reading “Gochujang Sloppy Joes”

Lima Bean and Sauerkraut Soup

Lima Bean and Sauerkraut Soup

Lima Bean and Sauerkraut Soup

It isn’t the prettiest soup, but it sure is unique and flavorful and perfect for a cold weather meal. With plenty of sauerkraut left over from my Reuben Latkes, this Sauerkraut Soup was on the menu!

Sauerkraut soup, also known as kapuśniak in Polish, is a traditional Eastern European dish that features fermented cabbage as a key ingredient.

Kapuśniak typically contains a variety of vegetables such as carrots, onions, and potatoes. These vegetables add sweetness and depth to the soup. Instead of potatoes, this version features plump large lima beans. A good source of protein and fiber – large lima beans have a creamy texture, and a slightly sweet, buttery flavor.

Smoked sausage or kielbasa are often added to sauerkraut soup too, but this one is intentionally meatless. It’s a great comfort food, and many variations of the recipe exist, allowing for personal preferences and regional differences.

Dill is popular in Polish cuisine – bright and grassy, herbaceous and aromatic, fresh dill enhances the overall sensory experience of soup. And here, a generous dollop of sour cream balances out the sauerkraut. Homemade artisan bread with butter is the perfect accompaniment for dunking in the savory sour broth.

Lima Bean and Sauerkraut Soup

Lima Bean and Sauerkraut Soup Recipe

Continue reading “Lima Bean and Sauerkraut Soup”