FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE’S SENATE BEAN SOUP

My subscription to Food Network Magazine has expired, and I decided not to renew.  Though the mag is filled with beautiful photos and lots of recipes, I decided to branch out in other areas.   (My current subscriptions include Bon Appetit, Southern Living, Garden and Gun, Good Housekeeping and Eating Well -- and I love each one.)  

Before my Food Network Magazine (FNM) subscription expired, this recipe for Senate bean soup caught my eye.  According to FNM, this is the original recipe.  Perfect for a cold day, this soup will warm your innards.  Don't leave out the mashed potatoes.  They really make this simple but satisfying soup special.

Food Network Magazine’s Senate Bean Soup Rating:  8.5 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

INGREDIENTS:  1 lb. dried navy beans, picked over 1 lb. ham (I used a meaty ham bone left from a spiral-cut ham) 1 large russet potato, peeled and quartered* Sea salt or kosher salt 1/2 cup milk* 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1 large onion, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley freshly ground pepper (I used 1/4 tsp. white pepper) Put beans in a large bowl and cover with about 3 times their volume of cold water.  Soak overnight in a cool place.  (I placed beans and water in a large pot over high heat and brought to a boil, then covered, turned heat off and let beans sit for 1 hour.) Drain beans and transfer to large pot or Dutch oven.  Add 10 cups water and ham bone.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook till beans are tender, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.  Transfer ham to a plate to cool slightly, then remove the bone, if used, and dice the meat.  Return meat to pot. Meanwhile, cover potato with water in a saucepan and season with salt.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until potato is fork tender, 20-25 minutes.  Drain potato; transfer to a bowl with milk and mash with potato masher or fork until smooth.  Add to bean soup and stir until combined.  (*I took a shortcut here and used 1-1/4 cups of leftover mashed potatoes.  Since the mashed potatoes already contained milk, I left both the potato and the milk out this time.) Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, garlic and parsley and cook till veggies are translucent, 7-10 minutes.  Add veggie mixture to soup, reduce heat to low and cook 1 hour, adding up to 2 more cups water if soup is too thick.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Yield:  8 servings  (Leftovers freeze beautifully.)