Ingredients:

2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
6 parsley sprigs
2 fresh thyme sprigs of 1/4 tsp dried, crumbled
1 bay leaf
3 Tblsp unsalted butter
1 large ham hock (about 1 1/4 pounds)
2 cups dried black beans, picked over, soaked in cold water overnight, and drained
6 cups beef broth
1/2 cup dark rum
lemon juice to taste
Chopped hard boiled eggs, fresh parsley and lemon slices for garnish

In a heavy kettle, cook the onion, celery, parsley, thyme and bay leaf in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, for 10 minutes. Then add the ham hock, beans, broth, 4 cups water and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer the mixture uncovered for 3 hours. Discard the ham hock and the bay leaf. Put the remainder through a medium sized disk in a food processor into a large bowl, or in a blender on a low setting for 10 seconds, then return to kettle. Stir in the rum, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Thin the soup to the desired consistency with hot water and garnish with eggs, parsley and lemon slices.