Servings: 6–8 (approximately half vegetarian, half with pork ribs)

This method makes one rich vegetarian soup base and adds pork ribs only to the meat portions

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For soup base

2 tbsp neutral oil

2 medium onions, diced

2–3 cloves garlic, minced

2–3 tbsp tomato paste

5–6 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

2–3 tbsp ketchup

2 medium potatoes, cut into chunks

2 medium carrots, sliced

½ head green cabbage, chopped

8 oz cremini or shiitake mushrooms, sliced

8 cups vegetable broth

2 bay leaves

1 tsp soy sauce (optional)

1 tsp sugar (optional)

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Juice of ¾ lemon

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For the Meat Portion

2–2½ lb pork spare ribs

1 cup water

½ tsp salt

⅕ tsp black pepper

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Part 1 – Make the Vegetarian Soup Base

1. Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté – High.

2. Heat the oil and cook the onions for about 5 minutes.

3. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2–4 minutes, until it darkens to a deep brick red.

5. Add the chopped tomatoes and ketchup. Cook 5–8 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and become saucy.

6. Add carrots, potatoes, cabbage, mushrooms, vegetable broth, bay leaves, optional soy sauce, pepper, and sugar.

7. Pressure cook on High for 4 minutes.

8. Perform a Quick Release.

9. Stir in the lemon juice.

10. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Separate the Soup into 2 pots:

1. Pot A: Vegetarian soup (serve as-is).

2. Pot B: Soup that will become the meat version.

   A roughly 50/50 split works well, but adjust to however many vegetarian and meat servings you need.

Part 2 – Cook the Pork Ribs

Finish the Meat Soup

1. Empty and quickly rinse the Instant Pot.

2. Add the ribs, 1 cup water, salt, and pepper.

3. Pressure cook on High for 25 minutes.

4. Allow a 15-minute Natural Release.

5. Remove the ribs.

6. Reserve ½–1 cup of the flavorful cooking liquid.

Serving

1. Add the ribs to Pot B.

2. Stir in ½–1 cup of the rib cooking liquid.

3. Simmer for 5–10 minutes so the flavors combine.

4. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Vegetarian Bowls

● Serve with crusty bread or buttered toast.

● Optional garnish: parsley, dill, or sour cream.

Meat bowls

● Include several pork ribs in each bowl.

● Spoon plenty of broth and vegetables over the ribs.

Notes

● The vegetarian base develops wonderful flavor from the caramelized tomato paste, tomatoes, mushrooms, and long-simmered vegetables.

● Adding a little of the rib cooking liquid to only the meat portion gives it the richness of traditional Cantonese borscht without affecting the vegetarian soup.

● Both versions taste even better the next day.