WASHINGTON — Long before filibusters, televised hearings, or senators turning committee meetings into performance art, the United States Senate managed to establish one tradition that has actually survived the test of time: navy bean soup, served every single day since 1903 in the Senate Dining Room.

No one can quite agree on who started it — which feels appropriately on‑brand for Congress — but the credit usually goes to either Senator Fred Dubois of Idaho, who chaired the committee overseeing the Senate Restaurant, or Senator Knute Nelson of Minnesota, who simply loved the stuff so much he insisted it be served daily. Whether it began with a formal resolution or one man’s unwavering devotion to beans, the result is the same: for more than 120 years, senators have been able to count on bean soup even when they can’t count on each other.

The dish, often called Senate Bean Soup, is a simple, hearty stew built around navy beans — also known as Boston beans, pea beans, haricot beans, Jigna beans, earl haricot beans, and white pea beans. The Navy fed them to sailors in the mid‑19th century, and by the early 20th century they had become as American as apple pie, only far more likely to appear in a government cafeteria.

The Senate’s official recipe has changed slightly over the decades. Dubois’ version included mashed potatoes, garlic, celery, and parsley, producing a five‑gallon batch fit for a small army. The modern recipe is pared down but still unmistakably old‑school: beans, ham hocks, onion, butter, salt, and pepper. It’s the kind of dish that tastes like it came from a time before anyone argued about cholesterol.

And while bean soup may be the Senate’s most enduring culinary tradition, it’s not the only bit of trivia simmering in the institution’s history. Three former senators — Wendell Anderson, Bill Bradley, and Ben Nighthorse Campbell — were Olympians before they ever took their seats. Anderson won silver in hockey in 1956, Bradley earned gold in basketball in 1964 before joining the NBA, and Campbell competed in judo in Tokyo the same year, becoming the first Native American on the U.S. Olympic team. Even in a chamber known for political heavyweights, that’s a rare athletic lineup.

But back to the soup — because in the Senate, the soup always comes back.

THE FAMOUS SENATE RESTAURANT BEAN SOUP RECIPE

Ingredients: 2 pounds dried navy beans 4 quarts hot water 1 ½ pounds smoked ham hocks 1 onion, chopped 2 tablespoons butter Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: Wash the navy beans and run hot water through them until slightly whitened. Place beans into a pot with hot water. Add ham hocks and simmer for about three hours in a covered pot, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hocks, cool, dice the meat, and return it to the soup. Lightly brown the onion in butter and add it. Before serving, bring the soup to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Serves 8.

THE ORIGINAL FIVE‑GALLON VERSION (DUBOIS’ RECIPE)

3 pounds dried navy beans 2 pounds ham and a ham bone 1 quart mashed potatoes 5 onions, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped Half a bunch parsley, chopped

Clean the beans, cook them dry, then add ham, bone, and water. Bring to a boil. Add mashed potatoes and mix thoroughly. Add chopped vegetables, bring to a boil, and simmer for one hour before serving.

For all the Senate’s turbulence, turnover, and theatrics, one thing remains steady: no matter what’s happening on the floor, bean soup will be waiting upstairs. In a town where traditions come and go, this one has managed to stay warm.

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