Latvian Sauerkraut Soup

Rinse the pearl barley until the water runs clear. Place the smoked pork in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, skim off the foam, and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

Remove the meat from the pot. Add the pearl barley to the hot broth and cook for 20 minutes, until it starts to soften.

Finely chop the onion, slice the carrot into rounds, and cut the potato into small cubes. Heat the oil in a skillet, sauté the onion for 3 minutes, then add the carrot and cook for another 4 minutes.

Add the potato and the sautéed onion and carrot to the broth, and cook for 10 minutes.

Squeeze the sauerkraut lightly, rinsing it in cold water if it's too sour, and add it to the pot. Add the caraway seeds, allspice, and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat for 20–25 minutes, until the cabbage and potato are tender.

Cut the meat into pieces and return it to the soup. Add sugar, salt, and black pepper to taste, heat through for another 5 minutes, and remove from the heat.

Let the soup rest covered for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving, and serve hot.