SORT navy beans; REMOVE broken beans, stones or dirt clods; RINSE; SET ASIDE.

HEAT butter in pressure cooker pot over medium-high heat until it stops foaming. ADD onion, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt. SAUTE until onions are softened and browning around edges, about 8 minutes.

DRAIN navy beans if soaked. RINSE and ADD navy beans to the pressure cooker. SET ham hocks on top of the beans; POUR water over everything.

LOCK the lid on the pressure cooker. COOK at high pressure for 30 minutes (26 minutes for stovetop pressure cooker).

Let pressure release naturally for an additional 20 minutes. REMOVE lid.

REMOVE ham hock from pot; SET ASIDE to cool.

LADLE 2 cups of beans into a blender; PUREE; POUR back into the pot; STIR.

REMOVE ham from bones; SHRED; ADD back to the pot.

ADD fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste, usually 1 to 2 teaspoons. Soup should taste sweet and full of body, and you can just feel the taste of salt on the tip of your tongue.

SPRINKLE with parsley and SERVE.