Seasonal Rotation (Winter / Heritage)

U.S. Senate Bean With Smoked Ham Soup

Name: U.S. Senate Bean With Smoked Ham Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 1 Gallon
Ingredients: 1.25 lbs Dry small white navy beans; 6 cups Water (for soaking); 13 cups Water (for cooking); 4 tbsp Ham base (Better Than Bouillon); 2 tsp Chicken base (Better Than Bouillon); 0.5 tsp Ground white pepper; 2 cups Russet potatoes (1/2-inch dice); 2 cups Smoked ham (1/4-inch dice); 1.25 cups Celery (1/4-inch slices); 1 cup Yellow onion (1/4-inch dice); 1 cup Carrots (1/2-inch dice); 4 tsp Garlic (finely minced); 2 tbsp Fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley (chopped)

A hearty, traditional broth soup packed with tender small white navy beans, diced smoked ham, russet potatoes, and fresh garden vegetables simmered to rich perfection.

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 1 hr 45 mins
Archive yield: 1 Gallon
Evidence: Corporate disclosure

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Base ingredients

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Dry small white navy beans1.25 lbs
Water (for soaking)6 cups
Water (for cooking)13 cups
Ham base (Better Than Bouillon)4 tbsp
Chicken base (Better Than Bouillon)2 tsp
Ground white pepper0.5 tsp
Russet potatoes (1/2-inch dice)2 cups
Smoked ham (1/4-inch dice)2 cups
Celery (1/4-inch slices)1.25 cups
Yellow onion (1/4-inch dice)1 cup
Carrots (1/2-inch dice)1 cup
Garlic (finely minced)4 tsp
Fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley (chopped)2 tbsp

Method

Make it like the line remembers.

Submerge 1.25 lbs dry small white navy beans in 6 cups cold water; cover, refrigerate, and soak for 8 hours. Drain completely.
In a large soup pot, combine 13 cups fresh water, drained beans, ham base, chicken base, and white pepper.
Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours until beans are tender.
Insert an immersion blender and pulse for 3-5 seconds. The broth should become cloudy while remaining chunky.
Add russet potatoes, smoked ham, celery, yellow onion, carrots, and minced garlic.
Bring back to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until potatoes and carrots are fork-tender.
Stir in fresh parsley, remove from heat, and season to taste.

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Dry small white navy beans3 3/4 oz
Water (for soaking)1 1/8 cups
Water (for cooking)2.44 cups
Ham base (Better Than Bouillon)2 1/4 tsp
Chicken base (Better Than Bouillon)3/8 tsp
Ground white pepper0.09 tsp
Russet potatoes (1/2-inch dice)3/8 cups
Smoked ham (1/4-inch dice)3/8 cups
Celery (1/4-inch slices)3 3/4 tbsp
Yellow onion (1/4-inch dice)3 tbsp
Carrots (1/2-inch dice)3 tbsp
Garlic (finely minced)3/4 tsp
Fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley (chopped)1 1/8 tsp

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Why the method works

Food science, without the kitchen mythology.

Partial blending of soft-boiled navy beans releases native amylose starches to create a naturally velvety broth without requiring dairy thickeners.

Dairy-Free

Open-kitchen sourcing

Corporate recordU.S. Senate Bean With Smoked Ham Soup2 cited sources

Recipe provenance & source notes

San Diego Union-Tribune (2009 Corporate Disclosures)
Official Sweet Tomatoes Recipe Archive

Base ingredients

Make it like the line remembers.

The right amount, every time.