Pork Rib Applesauce Soup. Need I say more?

Pork ribs are delectable.  Delightful.  Deviously delicious.  I like to put them in the slow cooker for hours with a rub and eat them with copious amounts of barbecue sauce.  Grill them.  Bake them.  But soup them?  hmmmm... THAT'S IT!  Reminiscent of ye olde "Pork Chops with Apple-Wine Reduction", this soup packs a hearty meaty sweetness.  The flavor is
like somewhere between "bad for you," "good for you," and buttery cabbage.  I dare you not to like it.








Broth:
3-1/2 lbs pork ribs
1/2 cup white wine
2 astragalus slices (optional but excellent complement to the health benefits of bone broth)
7-10 cups water (or however much water fills your slow cooker with the ribs in there)
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
2 celery ribs & tops, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed

Place all ingredients in a slow-cooker and simmer on high for minimum 3-4 hours.  Add salt to taste. remove astragalus slices.

Soup:
4 cups applesauce
1/2 head small cabbage, shredded
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 medium parsnip roots, peeled and sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 inch ginger root, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery ribs, diced.
2 T bacon grease
1/2 cup white wine
2 handfuls dried nettle or 3 cups chopped kale
1 cup broth (from above)

Instructions:
1.  In a large skillet, saute cabbage, onion, fennel, celery, garlic, ginger.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
2.  When veggies are soft, add carrot and parsnips.  (Salt and pepper!) Add wine and broth and cover to steam the whole thing.
3.  While veggies are cooking, remove pork ribs from cooker and cut into handle-size pieces.
4.  Remove about 3 cups broth and set aside for another day.
5.  Add applesauce to the broth and mix until applesauce is well-incorporated.  Toss in nettle/kale and stir.
6.  Add sauteed veggies into the broth and mix.  Let simmer about 10 minutes.  Serve into bowls and top with pork rib handles.

Makes about 5 large bowlfuls.

Now I know this sounds like it is complicated but hear me out.  You can do this with much less effort than a normal weeknight dinner.  And it might even turn out better than if you took all day.  For example:

On a Saturday the timing of this might look like this:

But on a weekday it can look like this:

Enjoy!

Jaye Anne

This post is a part of Unprocessed Fridays, Fight Back Fridays,  and Simply Natural Saturdays.