The Soup That's Been Served Every Day At The United States Senate For Over A Century

Although the Senate has often been seen as the more even-keeled, less reactionary half of America's bicameral legislature, that has changed in recent years as political polarization continues apace. (Not that the Senate has ever been entirely free of reactionary sentiment — Joe McCarthy was a senator, after all.) But in these chaotic times, some things about the Senate haven't changed: not only do they still have that one desk stuffed with candy, their cafeteria has served a certain bean soup recipe for over a hundred years.

If you look at the lunch menu for the Dirksen Cafe, one of the many restaurants and cafes that cater to senators and their staffers, you'll see two soups served every day: chicken noodle, and something called "Senate bean soup." You're probably well aware of what the former is, but in the latter's case, it's basically just a navy bean soup served with ham, onions, and vegetables like carrots and celery. It's hearty, nourishing stuff, ideally suited for fall soup season, and perfect for keeping you satiated as you prepare for a filibuster. (Not that most senators actually filibuster unless they're purposefully trying to grandstand, but let's not get bogged down with minutia.)

So how did this navy bean soup recipe become a mainstay in the halls of the Senate? Well, there are two different origin stories, both of which involve a senator from the early 20th century acquiring a taste for it. In one version of the story, the senator in question was Knute Nelson (R-MN), who liked it so much that he asked for it never to leave the menu; in another, the senator was Fred Dubois (D-ID), who, while chairing the committee that oversaw the Senate restaurants, passed a resolution making the soup a permanent fixture. Although Dubois' preferred version of the soup included mashed potatoes, the modern recipe is potato-less — another instance in which the senator, most famous for his fanatical anti-Mormonism in a state that now has a thriving Mormon population, did not get his way.

Not to be outdone, the House of Representatives has its own bean soup recipe, which hit the menu at around the same time as the Senate bean soup. According to legend, it came about because then-Speaker Joseph Cannon (R-IL), who loved the soup, demanded it be on the menu. (Apparently, there were a lot of bean soup fans in Congress in the early 20th century.) The House bean soup recipe is much simpler than its Senate counterparts, requiring nothing more than beans, ham hocks, and salt and pepper. But there's nothing wrong with simplicity, is there? If only Joseph Cannon could have tried Marcella Hazan's five-ingredient bean soup.