Senate Navy Bean Soup

This soup looked and sounded hearty and delicious.  I love a good bean soup and this recipe I found in "Cook's Country" magazine is a good recipe.  It is made with your traditional ingredients of navy beans, ham hocks, onion, celery, garlic, potatoes, and vinegar.  However, this recipe kicks the soup up a bit by using 2 ham hocks and a cut-up potato instead of precooked mashed potatoes.  Finally, instead of using butter this recipe uses vegetable oil.

The result is a very satisfying soup that is both hearty and delicious.  Make a pot of this delicious soup and taste for yourself.


Senate Navy Bean Soup
From "Cook's Country" Magazine


Ingredients:

Salt and pepper
1 pound (2 1/2 cups) navy beans, picked over and rinsed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion chopped fine
2 celery ribs, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 whole cloves
2 (12-ounce) smoked ham hocks
8 ounces russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large container.  Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.  Drain and rinse well.
2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.  Add onion, celery, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Transfer onion mixture to bowl.
3. Insert cloves into skin of 1 ham hock.  Add 8 cups water, ham hocks, and beans to now-empty pot and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered with lid lightly ajar, until beans are tender, 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir potatoes and onion mixture into soup and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes; remove pot from heat.  Transfer ham hock to cutting board and let cool slightly.  Discard cloves, then shred meat, discarding bones and skin.
5. Using potato masher, gently mash beans and potatoes until soup is creamy and  lightly thickened, 8 to 10 strokes.  Add 1/2 teaspoon pepper and shredded meat and return to simmer over medium heat.  Stir in vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve.

Serves 6 to 8

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