U.S. Senate Bean Soup

I tried this soup recently as well. I wasn't to sure what a "ham hock" was, (yeah sad I know), but I found it. It is a great soup and is served in the soup cart at Whole Foods Market. My husband described it as a very "country" kind of soup. The fact that it doesn't really have that much meat in it, I decided to pair it with a special grilled cheese sandwich. (Which I will post as well.)

U.S. SENATE BEAN SOUP
Makes about 6 cups.

Soak:
1 1⁄4 cups small dried white beans, such as navy or Great Northern, rinsed and picked over.
Drain and place in a soup pot, along with:
1 small ham hock
7 cups cold water

(Or you can use canned beans like I did. Just add them to the pot when you add the potatoes.)
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 1⁄4 hours. Remove the ham hock (leave the soup at a gentle simmer). Discard the bone, skin, and fat; dice the meat. Return it to the pot and add:
1 large onion, diced
3 medium celery ribs with leaves, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
Simmer until the potato pieces are quite soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and mash with a potato masher until the soup is a bit creamy. Stir in:
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Enjoy!

(From the Joy of Cooking.)