U.S. Senate Bean Soup, or simply Senate Bean Soup, is a soup made with dark blue beans, ham, and onions. It is served in the U.S. Senate Dining Room every day in a tradition that dates back to the early 20th century. The original version included celery, garlic, parsley and possibly mashed potatoes. According to the Senate website, "Bean soup is on the Senate restaurant menu every day. There are several stories about the origin of this mandate, but none are confirmed." On September 14, 1943, due to rationing caused by World War II, the Senate kitchen did not have enough beans to serve soup. The next day the Washington Times-Herald reported it missing. In a speech on the Senate floor in 1988, Bob Dole recounted the response to the crisis: "Somehow more beans were found the next day, and plates of bean soup have been spilling nonstop ever since."