Sauerkraut Soup (Raugintu Kopustu Sribua)

5 Spare ribs 1 Onion, diced Bay leaves (a few) Peppercorns (5 to 10) 1 Quart sauerkraut, not rinsed 12 Oz can of diced tomatoes 1/2 Head fresh cabbage, shredded 1 Garlic clove Mushrooms (optional)

Cut up a 1/2 slab of ribs and brown the spare ribs in a bit of any oil or crisco. This browning is optional. Cover the ribs well with water. Add bay leaves, garlic,several peppercorns, and the diced onion. Cook the ribs until very soft. A pressure cooker is a helpful timesaver. When the ribs are cooked, remove the meat from the rib bone, cut into pieces, and put meat back into the pot. Leave the "ribs water" and add the sauerkraut and some shredded fresh cabbage (though fresh cabbage is optional, it really stretches the soup in case you don't have a lot of kraut on hand and it tastes good, too!) Add the can of diced tomatoes and some sliced mushrooms (wild mushrooms are especially tasty in any "kapusta" dish). Add more water if necessary to obtain desired consistency. Note: Soup can be made from any cut of fresh pork but it's best to use something that has a bone. If you only have a pork chop and a little bit of kraut, you can still make a small pot of soup for yourself. Best served with chilled, whole boiled potatoes on the side.