Rassolnik is usually cooked on a broth obtained from smoked ribs. But if you add some meatballs to the broth, this thick, flavored, and filling soup will only benefit from it.
Pour the pearl barley with cold water and leave it on the table for at least 2-3 hours, or preferably for the whole night.
Bring 1.5 liters of water in a saucepan to a boil, add the prepared pearl barley to it, and cook for 30 minutes over low heat.
Chop the smoked ribs into portions, put them in a saucepan, and cook for another 30 minutes.
Cut the onion into small dice and the carrot into small strips.
Cut the pickled cucumbers into small strips of the same size as carrots.
Heat some vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the onions for about 3-5 minutes until transparent.
Add the carrots, mix them with onions, and fry for another 5 minutes over medium heat.
Add the pickles, stir, fry for 2 more minutes, and turn off the fire.
Cut the potatoes into medium dice and add them to the saucepan.
Pour 1/2 cups of the pickled cucumber brine into it and cook for all 20 minutes.
Put the minced meat in a bowl, add 1 pinch of both salt and pepper. Beat the egg and mix everything thoroughly. Form meatballs as big as a walnut with your wet hands.
Put the meatballs in the boiling soup. Wait until they come to the surface.
Add the fried-up vegetables to the saucepan, the remaining salt, pepper, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer it for 10 minutes.
The rassolnik is done. Turn off the fire, cover the saucepan with a lid, and allow the soup to infuse another 10 minutes.
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