As a Romanian, it’s about time to post another Romanian recipe – vegetable sour soup (borsch) with smoked ribs).

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 mushrooms cut in thick slices
• 1 parsley root cut in cubs
• 6 small carrots cut in cubs
• 1 red bell pepper cut in cubs
• 1/2 rack smoked ribs
• 3 stalks of celery cut in thick slices
• 3 green onions cut in slices
• 1 onion cut small cubs
• 1 big tomato cut in small cubs
• 1 x 6 oz tomato paste
• 1 medium yams cut in big cubs
• 4 medium potatoes cut in big cubs
• 1.5 quarts of vegetable/chicken stock
• 1L of water or more to get the desired consistency
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 hot peppers (I used jalapeño)
• lemon juice to taste (I used the original borsch – you can buy it at any Romanian delicatessen)
• few springs of lovage, parsley and dill cut thin
• sour cream for serving

Directions:

In a big pot, heat the oil and sweat the onion, green onions, celery, carrots, parsley root, mushrooms and bell pepper adding one ingredient at the time and stir for about 8-10 minutes. Add the brought and water in the pot together with the smoked ribs and boil until the meat is falling of the bone. In the end add the potatoes and 5 minutes after the yams and let them boil until tender. Turn off the heat and add the greens (parsley, dill and lovage).

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