Senate Bean Soup (With a Shortcut)
This is an old-fashioned Senate bean soup recipe with a shortcut that includes tender beans and smoked turkey in a flavorful broth for the most hearty comfort food dish imaginable.
Have you heard of Senate bean soup before? Made with navy beans, ham hocks, and onion, its name originates from the fact it’s been traditionally served in the dining room of the United States Senate daily since the early 20th century. I love this famous soup because it’s simultaneously flavorful, filling, and the ultimate comfort food dish.
But in my mind, it needed to be made a bit more accessible for folks who don’t have all day to soak their beans as you do for my pinto beans and ham recipe. So, this is my shortcut Senate bean soup recipe. Fortunately, it tastes every bit as good as the old-fashioned version. So, wondering what ingredients you need to get your hands on to make Senate soup? It’s simple: lots of navy beans, onion, garlic, celery, butter, chicken broth, instant mashed potatoes, and a smoked turkey leg is the piece de resistance!
The instructions are just as easy. We first cook the turkey leg in the broth, saute the veggies and seasonings in the butter, then combine all the ingredients together. Then we just have to patiently wait for it to simmer and for all the flavors to mingle together before we can serve it to our hungry family! Sometimes it’s the simple flavors that are the best and the combination of the beans, smoked turkey, and flavorful broth will have you coming back for more.
I don’t think you’ll find a saltier, heartier, or thicker soup recipe, which is why this easy Senate bean soup is a favorite in my household. A little goes a long way and leftovers can be reheated and enjoyed for lunch the next day. I mean, say less!
Recipe Ingredients
- Navy beans
- Minced garlic
- Onion
- Unsalted butter or margarine
- Chicken stock/bullion cubes
- Celery
- Instant mashed potatoes
- Smoked turkey leg
How to Make Senate Bean Soup
Place bullion cubes in a pot with six cups of water (or substitute for chicken broth if you prefer) and add the turkey leg.
Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
The turkey leg does not have to be covered with water/broth.
Place butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add onion, celery, and garlic, and saute until lightly brown.
Like this.
Remove turkey leg from broth and dice it up once cool.
Add onion mixture, beans, and diced turkey.
Stir in salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes before serving.
Oh my goodness, glorious comfort food on a chilly day!
I hope you get to make this Senate bean soup soon.
Storage
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheat in the microwave.
- It also freezes VERY well for up to 3 months. I took my leftovers and put them in a mason jar, leaving plenty of head space, and froze it to eat later. When it was time, I let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the microwave.
Recipe Notes
- Now, you can substitute the instant mashed potatoes for actual mashed potatoes if you prefer. You’ll need to boil 1 large Russet potato and mash it with about 1/2 cup of milk before adding it to the soup. But this recipe is all about shortcuts, so I’ll stick to the instant option!
- Another option is to substitute the turkey leg for smoked ham hocks or a meaty ham bone. You may need to simmer for another 30 minutes to ensure the meat is tender.
- Have a leftover ham bone from Easter? Turn it into Senate bean soup!
- You can really use any type of white beans in Senate bean soup, like cannellini beans or Great Northern beans.
Recipe FAQs
How do you thicken Senate bean soup?
With a thickening agent. In this case, I’m using instant mashed potatoes because they’re the most brilliant soup thickener. Another option is to make a slurry by stirring one teaspoon of cornstarch or all-purpose flour into cold water and adding that to the soup. You can continue to use this method a teaspoon at a time until it’s to your desired consistency.
How do you serve Senate bean soup?
Here are some soup serving suggestions:
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or chives.
- Serve with homemade biscuits, cornbread, or crusty bread.
Can I make navy bean soup in the Instant Pot?
Yes, Instant Pot Senate bean soup is just as simple. Follow Instant Pot directions for cooking the turkey leg and sauteing the vegetables if you like. Then add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot and cook on the manual setting for 45 minutes before releasing naturally.
Check out these other comforting soup recipes:
Creamy Vegetable Soup (Low-Carb Version)
How To Make Chicken Noodle Soup
Taco Soup (The World’s Easiest Supper)
Ingredients
- 4 15-ounce cans navy beans, undrained
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 chicken bullion cubes (6 cups of chicken broth)
- 1 smoked turkey leg
- 1 cup instant mashed potato flakes
- 1 stick margarine or butter (1/2 cup)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place bullion cubes in a pot with six cups of water (or sub for straight chicken broth instead) and add the turkey leg. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. The turkey leg does not have to be covered with broth.4 chicken bullion cubes, 1 smoked turkey leg
- Place butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic, and saute until lightly brown.3 stalks celery, chopped, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 onion, chopped, 1 stick margarine or butter
- Remove the turkey leg from the broth and dice it up when cool. Add instant potatoes to broth and stir. Then add onion mixture, beans, and diced turkey. Stir in salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes before serving.4 15-ounce cans navy beans, undrained, 1 cup instant mashed potato flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
Nutrition
Gentle reminder: We don’t talk politics on any of my platforms. This post was originally published in 2010 and I updated the photos and the post in 2020.
This recipe was featured in Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck!
Hey Christy, give yourself permission to indulge in BUTTER. I read a few years ago that margarine is just one molecule away from being plastic! Personally, I prefer to live without plastic in my fridge and science is finding that saturated fat is actually healthy for us (as long as it is not overdone). Speaking of Sams Club, their butter is even less than Wal-mart ($2.98/lb). Another little cheat is that when cooking (not baking) with butter, use half butter and half olive oil. Healthy and stretches the butter. 🙂 Planning on making this soup for the weekend; supposed to be cold and wet. yuck!
You’d be amazed at all the things that are just one molecule away from plastic! lol I enjoy butter whenever my budget allows though! 🙂 Cold and wet? Now when you’re making a big pot of soup that almost makes cold and wet appealing!!! Hope you have a great one!
Why is it called “Senate” bean soup?
Hey Barbara, I talk about the name right at the very start of the post. Hope this helps!
Gratefully,
Christy
Here’s a little secret to shopping at Sam’s Club w/o a membership. They have printable day passes on their website. You do have to pay a percentage upcharge in most stores but it minimal. Those of us who live in SC don’t pay an upcharge because it is against state law. You can use one of those passes every 90 days. Butter is a little cheaper at Sam’s. We have to have butter for most things at our house ’cause we loves it 🙂
I went to Samsclub.com and did not find a day pass. I did find that u could buy a pass for $15 that would be good for a few weeks but that was offered the first week of October only. This being the 24th.
If you have a Costco near you especially one with a gas station, it is worth it to get a membership there. We get the $100 one and we get back enough in rebates for gas, and for whatever else we get which isn’t a great deal, to pay for the membership. Get over $100 back plus a check to be used at Costco for a smaller amount. We have 2 vans to fill up and Costco is usually a few cents less – not always but usually. We use their American Express card and can use other places too. So our rebate will pay for our new year’s membership. I don’t know if that works like that at Sam’s Club or not. But Costco pays for itself at least for us since they have gas there too. There is just my husband and myself so we do check for things we want to check prices and there are some things that we can only get at Costco. Kirkland products are very tasty. I like some of their produce as well and their “homemade” soups are great. They are in the cheese cases. I love the mini cream puffs, especially ones with chocolate on top.
i make mine just a bit differnt…i saute onions and diced carrots(instead of celery) and i do use can beans too, but i smash one can with the potato masher, for thickener, and use the other whole….and i freeze ham after i have bake a ham for sunday dinner..just for my bean soup….2cans white great northern beans, two med carrots diced, 1 small onion diced, 2 TBSP marg , to saute this in, 2 1/2 cups water. 1 1/2 cups cubed ham, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper,just remember to mash one can of the beans…and a bay leaf (optional)
LOVE READING YOUR POST EVERYDAY!
Instant mashed taters are great for thickening soup, I’ve done it for years with potato soup when I’ve wanted it to be a rib sticker. This recipe sounds great, it’s finally getting chilly in California, and the soup pot is on the stove ready to go!
On another note, Christy..I love reading your blog, it always makes me smile and lol (a lot) cause I can relate to so many of your family interactions and stories. I’ll be reading, nodding my head, saying things in agreement outloud and hubby looks at me like I’ve fallen out of my chair. Thank you so much!! Pass on a howdy to your Mom and Grammy (glad she found her $2 today)
I just made this and it was delicious. When my husband and I got married, his granny gave the recipe for ham/bean soup that is very similiar to this. However, I loved the flavor of this. But my honey’s granny was a true lady(beautiful inside and out) and I enjoyed every moment I got to spend with her before she passed away. Thanks for bringing me good thoughts tonight!
I am so glad to hear that you liked it and that it brought you happy memories and thoughts to make you smile!
Such sweet thoughts. Was his granny’s recipe thickened with potato? I had tried some shrimp and corn chowder and I thought the broth tasted like it had some potato in it. It was delicious. I wondered how the broth was so good and I think I now know – potato soup and some squares of potato too.
I wonder if frozen corn is as good as fresh cut right off the cob.
I’m a little shocked here…you just know you could buy 4 bags of dried beans for what you just spent on those canned beans…LoL. I almost died when I saw that canned black eyed peas here are over $2 a can!
I love butter and we have to have it in the house all the time. I’ll give up anything but real butter…especially on toast or biscuits where the high water content in margarine makes the toast soggy. Now my significant other loves Brummel and Brown and will choose that over good butter for anything. I’m not sure whats wrong with him :0)
I normally go for the cheap but the canned is my shortcut here, allowing you to have this soup kinda last minute rather than having to plan. It’s one of those “I’m tired but I still want real food so I’ll spend two dollars more” meals. 🙂
I’ve had brummel and brown and it is pretty good. I like that Land O Lakes spreadable butter in a tub, too. I don’t usually eat toast because I try to stick to protein in the mornings so when I go for carbs I hit a whole wheat bagel with a hefty smear of cream cheese, yum! Back in my younger days I would have happily lived in buttered toast, with a little jelly from time to time for good measure 🙂
Ok now I’m hungry…
My husband and I worry about the salt and beans have a lot of salt as does ham. We can buy lower sodium ham at the meat counter and we usually drain the juice from beans. Might just cook beans from scratch. I sure wouldn’t add the extra salt with beans and ham as they would provide a lot of salt. I love soups and particularly bean soups. Thanks for the recipe. I have never used instant potatoes for thickening. Sounds good to me. Sure have trouble with husband’s food though as he is on dialysis and beans and potatoes have too much potassium for him. That is the pitts as he likes beans too. I may try it anyway with lower sodium items like the low sodium broth instead of bouillon. Do you use chicken or beef boullion? I really look for the low sodium broth or no salt added in beans, etc.
Yes, I found that the canned Navy beans were .89 a can!!! I bought dried, am cooking them now.