finished texture of the soup should be creamy but not too... and
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finished texture of the soup should be creamy but not too thick. eight to 10 strokes with a potato masher should be adequate. if you cannot find a smoked ham hock, a ham steak is almost as good and readily available. we found that 6 oz of ham steak adds flavor without overwhelming the beans. if using ham steak, cut it into quarter-inch dice and add the meat to the pot when starting the beans., bay leaves, fresh thyme, parsley stems , plus 1 1/2 tbsp minced parsley leaves, dried navy beans washed and picked clean of any debris or dark-colored beans, smoked ham hock (about 12 oz), salt, unsalted butter, onion , chopped fine, carrot , chopped fine, stalk celery , chopped fine, garlic , peeled and finely minced, ground black pepper, lemon juice from 1 medium lemon , plus 1 lemon cut into wedges