Borscht with Pork: Rich and Hearty Soup for a Family Dinner

Prepare the pork ribs: rinse them thoroughly under running water. In a spacious saucepan, bring water to a boil, add the ribs and skim off any foam that forms. Reduce heat to low and cook until the meat is tender and easily separates from the bone (approximately 1-1.5 hours). Gently remove the ribs from the broth.

Clean the onion and cut it into small cubes. Wash carrots and beets thoroughly, peel and grate on a coarse grater. Heat vegetable oil in a pan, add the onion and fry it until translucent, so that it becomes soft and fragrant.

Add grated carrots and beets to the onion, fry the vegetables together for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don't burn and are evenly saturated with oil. Then put the fried vegetables in a pot with boiling broth. Shred the cabbage into thin strips and add to the rest of the ingredients in the pot. Cook everything together for another 10 minutes, until the cabbage is soft.

Tomatoes, optionally, peel. Cut the pulp into small cubes and add to the pot. Instead of fresh tomatoes, you can use canned tomatoes in their own juice, pureed tomatoes, or tomato paste to give the soup a rich taste and aroma.

Thoroughly mix all ingredients in the pot and cook the borscht for another 15-20 minutes, so that the vegetables are fully cooked and the borscht acquires a rich flavor. 5 minutes before the end of cooking, add salt, pepper, and, if desired, bay leaf to give the dish aroma and piquancy.

Clean the garlic cloves and press them through a garlic press. Wash the dill thoroughly, dry it, and chop it finely. Add the garlic and dill to the borscht, cover the pot with a lid, and let it steep for 10 minutes so that the soup is infused with the aromas. Return the pork ribs back to the soup. Pour the finished borscht into plates and serve with sour cream.