Cabbage soup with smoked ribs

Cabbage soup with smoked ribs

Most of the time, I make this soup in the fall or when I have a larger cabbage and some smoked ribs in the fridge. I like that it is made with simple ingredients, without complicated steps, and I don’t need to stay too long by the stove. It’s the kind of meal where you can start chopping the vegetables, put them to boil, and in the meantime, do something else in the kitchen.

Quick Info

Total time: approx. 1 hour and 15 minutes
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Difficulty: easy
Recipe type: soup, main dish, everyday recipe

Ingredients

1 medium to large cabbage
3-4 pieces of smoked ribs
2 carrots
1 onion
1 red bell pepper
oil (for sautéing)
1 and a half tablespoons of tomato paste
salt, pepper
1 vegetable cube (Knorr or similar)
1 and a half tablespoons of Magic vegetable borscht (or to taste)

Preparation method

1. Chop the cabbage finely or coarsely, according to preference. I usually chop it quite thin so it cooks faster.
2. Peel the onion, carrots, and bell pepper. Dice the onion, cut the carrots into small cubes or rounds, and the bell pepper into cubes.
3. In a large pot, heat a little oil. Add the onion, carrot, and bell pepper. Sauté over medium to low heat for a few minutes until the onion becomes translucent.
4. Add the chopped cabbage over the sautéed vegetables. Pour in about 300 ml of warm water and let it boil covered for about 10 minutes.
5. In the meantime, boil the smoked ribs separately in plain water. After it boils and cooks a bit, remove the ribs and rinse them under running water (this helps prevent the soup from being too salty or too smoky).
6. After 10 minutes, add the boiled and rinsed ribs to the pot with cabbage. Add enough warm water to cover the vegetables and ribs. If it reduces, add more warm water, not cold.
7. Let the soup boil over medium heat. When the vegetables are soft, add salt, pepper, and the vegetable cube.
8. About 20 minutes before turning off the heat, add the tomato paste and Magic borscht. I usually add one and a half tablespoons, but everyone can adjust to taste.
9. Continue boiling until the cabbage is soft and the flavor is balanced. At the end, you can adjust the salt or borscht if needed.

Why I make the recipe often

Because it doesn’t require hard-to-find ingredients, it’s made with what I have on hand, and it doesn’t need constant attention. The smoked ribs add flavor, and the soup keeps well the next day.

Tips and variations

Tips

- If the cabbage is very sour or tough, it can be soaked for a few minutes in cold water, then drained.
- The water used to top up should be warm, not cold, to avoid stopping the boiling process.
- If you want a lighter soup, you can use less rib.

Substitutions

- Instead of a vegetable cube, you can use vegetable broth, but the cube is quicker.
- Magic borscht can be replaced with any other instant borscht or with traditional borscht juice (adjust to taste).
- Fresh ribs can also be used, but the taste will be different.

Variations

- You can add diced potatoes if you want a heartier soup.
- For those who prefer, a few sprigs of dill can be added towards the end.

Serving ideas

- Goes well with plain sour cream and fresh bread.
- A hot pepper on the side for those who want it spicier.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use another type of meat besides smoked ribs?
Yes, but the flavor will be less intense if you use fresh meat. With smoked ribs, the soup turns out tastier.

How much Magic borscht should I add if I don’t want it too sour?
I usually add one and a half tablespoons, but you can start with one tablespoon, taste it, and add more if needed.

Can I add tomato paste earlier?
It’s best to add it towards the end, about 15-20 minutes before it’s done, so it doesn’t lose its color and flavor.

What can I do if the soup is too salty from the ribs?
Add more warm water and let it boil a bit longer, then adjust the salt taste at the end.

How long should I boil the cabbage?
It depends on how thin you’ve cut it, but generally about 40-50 minutes is enough for it to be soft.

Nutritional values (estimate)

One serving has about 180-220 kcal. Protein 8-10 g, fat 12-14 g (depending on how fatty the ribs are), carbohydrates 12-15 g. Being a soup with cabbage and vegetables, it has few calories, but the ribs add fat and protein. Values depend on the type of ribs and how much fat remains in the soup.

Storage and reheating

The soup keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days in a covered pot. It can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave. I do not recommend freezing, as the cabbage becomes soft and the ribs take on a strange texture after thawing. If there’s leftover soup, the next day the flavor is even better.

 Ingredients: a quite large cabbage 3-4 pieces of ribs 2 carrots 1 onion 1 red bell pepper oil 1 and a half tablespoons of broth salt, pepper a vegetable cube from Knorr magic vegetable borscht from Knorr

 Tags:  cabbage soup soup with ribs