U.S. Senate Bean Soup
When I was in college, I spent a summer interning at the U.S. Senate. It was my second time to Washington D.C and my very first time to work in a political setting. I did not know a soul at Georgetown Law where I lived and it was the first time I had access to a working stove and oven.. Though I packed some basic kitchen items and arrived with an enthusiasm for cooking, in almost no time at all, I discovered how little I knew about meal prep. I relied heavily on the staffers in my office and other interns to show me the ropes but, let’s just say that even with their support, I lacked the culinary tools and skills to cook with so my diet mostly consisted of cereal, sandwiches, and salads. Needless to say, I was delighted when the Senator I interned for invited us to join him for lunch at the Senate cafeteria!
It was there I stumbled across a soup on the menu that had been served everyday in the senate cafeteria since the early 1900s. While I didn’t have any that particular day, we’ve been making this soup every election eve since bringing my daughter to the polls with me in 2012. Over time, it has been a fun thing to look forward to around election season and a gentle way to lean into conversations about history, government, democracy, and freedom. What a privilege it all is. You can find the original recipe for 5 gallons in the link above or use what I have below for about 8-10 servings of soup.
During my time at the U.S. Senate, I had the honor of meeting many folks. Occasionally I got to accompany mine onto the Senate floor to listen to the proceedings of that day. I may not have agreed with every opinion on policy or their legislative agenda, but I respected his commitment to integrity and his willingness to nurture our understanding of how things worked. He was at the time, the Majority Leader and Budget Chair and he emphasized importance of making people feel seen and known with whatever limited time allotted.
Having children in the kitchen is something I absolutely love and hate all at once. I find that it is more fun when I take a few moments to prepare the space as I would a montessori teacher setting up a tray. We set aside a jar of navy beans for littler ones: they can make seed mosaics with them, weigh them, study them through their magnifying glass, or simply play with them. It helps them process on a sensory level what is going into their meal and makes room for older kids to participate in the cooking at their comfort.. They may not always want to be part of the of the meal prep process, but when they do, I try to find a way.
