Senate Bean (Potato) Soup



Senate Bean (Potato) Soup

After soaking up the super amplified rays from the sun in Destin, Florida, my husband, kids, dad and step-mom, went goo goo over the .18 cent bean soup from McGuires Pub. Yes, I meant to write .18 cents! The soup was very thick and creamy. My version was not the same, but I liked it better. It’s somewhat of a cross between bean soup and potato soup. YUM!

Ingredients:

2 lb navy or northern beans, rinsed and soaked overnight; drain water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
1 ham shank*, or pork neck bones
1 1/2 tsp salt
Water (Approx 8-9 cups – enough to cover beans and bone[s])
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/ 8 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Small Pinch nutmeg
2 Bay Leaf
2 medium sized russet potatoes, *mashed (about 2 cups mashed potatoes)

Directions:

Place beans in a large bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak overnight; Drain water and set aside. In a large stock pot, drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil; Sauté carrots, celery and onion in oil for 10 minutes – long enough to brown and develop flavors. Stir in garlic and cook 2 minutes. 


Pour in water; add salt, pepper, nutmeg, beans, and ham shank. Bring to a low simmer; cover; cook for 4 hours. When beans are tender, mash 1/3 beans, using a potato masher, to make a creamier texture.  Mix in mashed potatoes or potato flakes and simmer until thickened and creamy. Serve.

*Use a fork or knife to poke a few holes in potatoes. Place in microwave and cook for 5-10 minutes or until soft. Remove from microwave and let cool. Peel skin and mash potatoes; mixing in broth from the soup to make it creamy. Once creamy add to soup and stir well.

**Potato flakes can be substituted for mashed potatoes.

***DH likes this with more whole beans. I prefer the beans mashed.