Senate Navy Bean Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lb. navy beans, soaked 4 hours in water
1 3/4 lb. smoked ham hocks
4 qt. water
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. finely chopped celery
1 clove garlic, mashed
2 c. finely diced potatoes
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste (depends on ham hock)
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. butter

Preparation

While beans soak, bring ham hocks to boil in 4 quarts water over high heat.
Lower heat and simmer 2 to 3 hours.
In large soup pot, saute onions in 2 tablespoons butter.
Add celery and mashed garlic, stirring.
Add potatoes and 2 cups water from ham hocks.
Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes.
Add beans, ham hocks, bay leaf and all liquid from beans and ham.
Cover and cook slowly until beans are tender, about 1 hour, adding water if needed. Remove hocks; cut meat from bones in bite size pieces and return to pot.
Salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf.
Add parsley.