Sounds like a very tasty soup, Liz.
I often slow boil a smoked ham hock until you can pull it apart with a fork, and make a good meal out of it with a variety of accompaniments, but I've never done a soup - although Linda sometimes takes a portion of my boiled ham hock to add to a single serving of pea soup for herself.
Steamed smoked ham hocks are regularly seen as a favored lunch dish menu item in Montreal, PQ bistros.