Potato soup with smoked ribs
If I have smoked ribs in the fridge and some vegetables on hand, I often make this soup. It's the kind of recipe you throw together without much planning, especially when you want something hearty but not too complicated. The potatoes and ribs provide the main flavor, while the vegetables and tarragon round everything out. The recipe has no complicated steps, and the ingredients are common.
Quick Info
Total time: about 1 hour and 30 minutes
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour - 1 hour and 10 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Difficulty: easy-medium
Recipe type: traditional soup with smoked pork
Ingredients
- 1 small smoked rib
- 4 liters of water
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 1 bell pepper
- half a celery root
- half a parsnip
- 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 4 potatoes
- tarragon (fresh or dried)
- salt
- pepper
- vegetable seasoning (or another mix of dehydrated vegetables, optional)
- 1 egg
- sour borscht (or any bottled borscht, to taste)
Preparation steps
1. Cut the smoked rib into cubes. Place them in a large pot, cover with cold water (from the 4 liters), and bring to a boil. When it starts boiling, skim off the foam that forms on the surface.
2. Meanwhile, peel and dice the vegetables: carrots, onion, bell pepper, celery, and parsnip.
3. In a larger pan or directly in the pot, add a little oil and sauté the vegetables for 3-4 minutes, just to soften them a bit, not to color them. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
4. Transfer the sautéed vegetables to the pot with the boiling ribs, along with the tomato paste.
5. After the vegetables have cooked halfway (about 20-25 minutes), peel and dice the potatoes. Add them to the pot. Add more water if necessary, to keep the soup fairly liquid.
6. Let everything boil until the potatoes are cooked (another 20-25 minutes). Check occasionally and stir gently.
7. When all the vegetables and meat are cooked, adjust the taste with salt, pepper, vegetable seasoning, and sour borscht. Add the borscht gradually, to taste. Boil for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Lightly beat the egg with a fork, then drizzle it slowly into the hot soup while stirring gently to form strands. Turn off the heat immediately after adding the egg.
9. Finally, sprinkle with chopped tarragon. If I have fresh tarragon, I add it directly to the bowl after serving.
10. Optionally, you can add some thin noodles at the end, but most of the time I prefer it simple, with potatoes and meat.
Why I make this recipe often
It's one of the soups I make when I want something filling that keeps well in the fridge for 1-2 days. The smoked rib adds flavor without needing anything special, and the other ingredients are easy to find. It can be soured more or less, according to preference, and pairs well with any type of bread.
Tips and variations
Tips
- Skim the rib well at the beginning to avoid a cloudy soup.
- If the rib is very salty, be careful with how much salt and vegetable seasoning you add at the end.
- The vegetables can be cut larger or smaller, as preferred.
- Don't boil the egg too much after adding it, or it will become too hard.
Substitutions
- You can use smoked bacon instead of ribs if that’s what you have.
- If you don't have sour borscht, any sour borscht from the store will work.
- Vegetable seasoning can be omitted or replaced with salt and a little dried lovage.
Variations
- If you want it heartier, add some thin noodles along with the potatoes.
- For a tarter version, you can add lemon juice at the end if you don't have borscht.
- For those who don't want egg, the soup can also be served without it, just sprinkle tarragon at the end.
Serving ideas
- A warm serving, with fresh tarragon and simple homemade bread.
- It can be served with hot peppers if you want something spicier.
- It also goes well with sour cream if you prefer creamier soups.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can it be made without smoked ribs?
Yes, but the final taste will be less intense. You can use another type of smoked meat, but ribs are the most suitable here.
2. Can I sour the soup with something other than sour borscht?
Yes, any type of borscht works, or even vinegar or lemon juice, according to preference.
3. Can the egg be omitted at the end?
Yes, the egg is not mandatory. If you don’t want to use it, the soup will still be good without it.
4. Can I use red potatoes or another type?
Any type of potatoes is fine, but regular potatoes are ideal as they soften when boiled.
5. Can it be made in a pressure cooker?
Yes, but you need to adjust the cooking times – the meat and vegetables cook faster. Add the potatoes at the end so they don’t break down too much.
Nutritional values (estimates)
For a medium serving (about 350 ml):
- Calories: 180-200 kcal
- Protein: 10-12 g
- Carbohydrates: 18-22 g
- Fat: 7-9 g
The values are estimates and can vary depending on the type of rib used, how much fat remains on the surface, whether you add noodles, etc. The soup has a decent protein content from the meat and egg and relatively low fat, especially if you skim the soup at the end.
Storage and reheating
The soup keeps well in the fridge for 2 days, in a pot with a lid. When reheating, it’s best not to boil it too much, just bring it to a brief boil, so the potatoes don’t break down or the egg doesn’t harden. I don’t recommend keeping it for more than 2-3 days. If you added noodles, they may soften during storage, but it won’t affect the taste.
If I have smoked ribs in the fridge and some vegetables on hand, I often make this soup. It's the kind of recipe you throw together without much planning, especially when you want something hearty but not too complicated. The potatoes and ribs provide the main flavor, while the vegetables and tarragon round everything out. The recipe has no complicated steps, and the ingredients are common.
Quick Info
Total time: about 1 hour and 30 minutes
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour - 1 hour and 10 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Difficulty: easy-medium
Recipe type: traditional soup with smoked pork
Ingredients
- 1 small smoked rib
- 4 liters of water
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 1 bell pepper
- half a celery root
- half a parsnip
- 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 4 potatoes
- tarragon (fresh or dried)
- salt
- pepper
- vegetable seasoning (or another mix of dehydrated vegetables, optional)
- 1 egg
- sour borscht (or any bottled borscht, to taste)
Preparation steps
1. Cut the smoked rib into cubes. Place them in a large pot, cover with cold water (from the 4 liters), and bring to a boil. When it starts boiling, skim off the foam that forms on the surface.
2. Meanwhile, peel and dice the vegetables: carrots, onion, bell pepper, celery, and parsnip.
3. In a larger pan or directly in the pot, add a little oil and sauté the vegetables for 3-4 minutes, just to soften them a bit, not to color them. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
4. Transfer the sautéed vegetables to the pot with the boiling ribs, along with the tomato paste.
5. After the vegetables have cooked halfway (about 20-25 minutes), peel and dice the potatoes. Add them to the pot. Add more water if necessary, to keep the soup fairly liquid.
6. Let everything boil until the potatoes are cooked (another 20-25 minutes). Check occasionally and stir gently.
7. When all the vegetables and meat are cooked, adjust the taste with salt, pepper, vegetable seasoning, and sour borscht. Add the borscht gradually, to taste. Boil for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Lightly beat the egg with a fork, then drizzle it slowly into the hot soup while stirring gently to form strands. Turn off the heat immediately after adding the egg.
9. Finally, sprinkle with chopped tarragon. If I have fresh tarragon, I add it directly to the bowl after serving.
10. Optionally, you can add some thin noodles at the end, but most of the time I prefer it simple, with potatoes and meat.
Why I make this recipe often
It's one of the soups I make when I want something filling that keeps well in the fridge for 1-2 days. The smoked rib adds flavor without needing anything special, and the other ingredients are easy to find. It can be soured more or less, according to preference, and pairs well with any type of bread.
Tips and variations
Tips
- Skim the rib well at the beginning to avoid a cloudy soup.
- If the rib is very salty, be careful with how much salt and vegetable seasoning you add at the end.
- The vegetables can be cut larger or smaller, as preferred.
- Don't boil the egg too much after adding it, or it will become too hard.
Substitutions
- You can use smoked bacon instead of ribs if that’s what you have.
- If you don't have sour borscht, any sour borscht from the store will work.
- Vegetable seasoning can be omitted or replaced with salt and a little dried lovage.
Variations
- If you want it heartier, add some thin noodles along with the potatoes.
- For a tarter version, you can add lemon juice at the end if you don't have borscht.
- For those who don't want egg, the soup can also be served without it, just sprinkle tarragon at the end.
Serving ideas
- A warm serving, with fresh tarragon and simple homemade bread.
- It can be served with hot peppers if you want something spicier.
- It also goes well with sour cream if you prefer creamier soups.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can it be made without smoked ribs?
Yes, but the final taste will be less intense. You can use another type of smoked meat, but ribs are the most suitable here.
2. Can I sour the soup with something other than sour borscht?
Yes, any type of borscht works, or even vinegar or lemon juice, according to preference.
3. Can the egg be omitted at the end?
Yes, the egg is not mandatory. If you don’t want to use it, the soup will still be good without it.
4. Can I use red potatoes or another type?
Any type of potatoes is fine, but regular potatoes are ideal as they soften when boiled.
5. Can it be made in a pressure cooker?
Yes, but you need to adjust the cooking times – the meat and vegetables cook faster. Add the potatoes at the end so they don’t break down too much.
Nutritional values (estimates)
For a medium serving (about 350 ml):
- Calories: 180-200 kcal
- Protein: 10-12 g
- Carbohydrates: 18-22 g
- Fat: 7-9 g
The values are estimates and can vary depending on the type of rib used, how much fat remains on the surface, whether you add noodles, etc. The soup has a decent protein content from the meat and egg and relatively low fat, especially if you skim the soup at the end.
Storage and reheating
The soup keeps well in the fridge for 2 days, in a pot with a lid. When reheating, it’s best not to boil it too much, just bring it to a brief boil, so the potatoes don’t break down or the egg doesn’t harden. I don’t recommend keeping it for more than 2-3 days. If you added noodles, they may soften during storage, but it won’t affect the taste.