Reviewed: Dec. 17, 2011

I know this is a famous soup, but if this is truly what the Senate Bean soup taste like, I don't get it. With no spices in it, it is really bland. I had to add thyme, rosemary and basil to give this any taste. I also dumped in a can of fire-roasted tomatoes. I put pre-soaked beans and the shank in the slow cooker and let it cook for several hours. Half way through the cooking time I added sauteed onion, carrot, fresh garlic and celery.

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Reviewer:

CRAZY4SUSHI

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Nov. 12, 2011

I made some substitutions with this which has resulted in an enhanced flavor. Substituted the Ham with cooked, crisp and crumbled turkey bacon. Changed out two cups of the water with two cups of whole cream.Sauteed the onions in butter before adding and made a puree of about 1/4 of the beans to thicken. Also chopped fresh garlic instead of the powder. Added one teaspoon of nutmeg. Very very tasty cooked in the crockpot.

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Reviewer:

necee

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Buffalo, New York, USA

Reviewed: Aug. 15, 2011

I love this bean soup. Its how my mother made it here in PA but we always added a few diced potatoes. I like my soup thick so I use a hand masher and mash 1/4 of the beans & potatos. It releases the starches and will thicken the pot. Note* if you used an hand held imersion blender or regular blender for this..be careful. Bring some out of the pot to cool before blending.

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Reviewer:

AuntieM

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, USA

Reviewed: Apr. 3, 2011

Not so good. Beans never softened so I used a stick blender which turned the entire thing into a gloppy mess. Even when I thinned it out with chicken broth, it just didn't taste as good as it smelled.

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Reviewer:

Cindy Bledsoe

Reviewed: Jan. 27, 2011

We really loved this soup! I made broth with the hambone as suggested. I used to have a Senate Bean Soup recipe (that I loved) that included basil and oregano, so I added a teaspoon of each. Perfect for a cold night!

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6 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

NANCY99

Reviewed: Dec. 24, 2009

I have made this several times now, and it is a big hit in my household. It's even better the next day.

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Reviewer:

Linda G.

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Conklin, New York, USA

Reviewed: Dec. 29, 2008

I scaled this recipe down to roughly 4-5 portions and made the following changes: used 1 QT of vegetable stock, canned beans, ham bone from Christmas ham w/ remaining meat chopped up into the soup, and added 1 can of Italian stewed tomatoes. Since there was plenty of salt in the stock, the ham, and the tomatoes I did not add more salt, and used 3 roughly crushed cloves of garlic instead of the powder. The end result was absolutely delicious.

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Reviewer:

JCL

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Apr. 7, 2008

This was a good soup, but mine came out too salty.

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2 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Tracy061601

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Brewster, New York, USA

Living In: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2008

I make a similar version of this soup for my family. The major differences between this one and mine are that, once it has cooked (and cooled off a bit), I: (1) emulsify approximately 1/3rd of my pot with my immersion blender and (2) add 1/2 cup of milk or half-and-half to give it a creamier texture.

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Reviewer:

ManassasMa

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: New York, New York, USA

Living In: Manassas, Virginia, USA

Reviewed: Mar. 6, 2007

I used three leftover fresh ham bones from a recent party to make my stock. I save all of my carrot, onion, celery, potato, etc. peels and freeze them just for making stocks. Made the stock yesterday, so by today, I was able to skim off all of the fat. I used two packages of beans, so I needed to add more liquid which I did using canned chicken stock. Delicious and hearty Yvonne and perfect for an extremely cold NJ night. Thanks!

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