How A Famous Soup Recipe Made It From Michigan to Capitol Hill

This recipe is guaranteed to warm your spirits on a cold winter day.

This simple yet robust soup recipe has been made in homes across Michigan, with each family adding its own unique variation. So, how did this time honored recipe make it from the Great Lakes State all the way to the Senate dining room in Washington D.C.?

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Served daily since 1903 with only one exception (September 14, 1943, when wartime rations left Michigan navy beans scarce) Senate Bean Soup calls for one key ingredient: Michigan Navy Beans.

Origins of Senate Bean Soup

At the time the soup was first served to the Senators Michigan was a key navy bean producing state. Although North Dakota has now surpassed Michigan in bean production, the tradition continues and Michigan navy beans are still used daily to make the special soup.

In fact, an old menu from the Senate dining room shows the recipe specifically calls for Michigan navy beans.

While there is no definite answer as to how or why Senate Bean Soup was first introduced on the Senate dining room menu, legend has it that Senators from Idaho and Minnesota were the first to request the soup be kept around permanently.

Although the Senate dining room is unfortunately not open to the public, you can often find it on the Capitol Café menu which is. I must admit I'm not a huge fan of bean soups but I'm quite interested to try this soup myself!

If you can't make it all the way to D.C., here is the official recipe from the back of an old Senate dining room menu:

Take two pounds of small Michigan Navy Beans, wash, and run through hot water until Beans are white again. Put on the fire with four quarts of hot water. Then take one and one-half pounds of Smoked Ham Hocks, boil slowly approximately three hours in covered pot. Braise one onion chopped in a little butter, and, when light brown, put in Bean Soup. Season with salt and pepper, then serve. Do not add salt until ready to serve. (Eight persons.)