We have been curious about Senate navy bean soup for a while, and we decided to try this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1027174-slow-cooker-senate-bean-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share
Our modifications: first, we converted this recipe from a 6-8 hour slow cooker recipe to a Instant Pot (120 min high pressure) recipe. We based this conversion on RecipeTin Eats’ recipe for pea and ham soup: https://www.recipetineats.com/pea-and-ham-soup/
Second, following tips from others, we added 2 whole cloves along with beans, potatoes, carrots, etc. (The cloves were challenging to fish out at the end of cooking.)
Third, at the end of cooking, we added not only 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (per the recipe), but also 1.5 tsp Gravenstein apple vinegar, 1 tsp Worchestershire sauce, and 1 tsp sugar for balance. (Oct. 2025)
Note: We used 2 ham hocks, which added a lot of depth but did not yield much meat at all.
Cooking Adventures 