Jess, glad you liked it! My notes: I've corrected the thyme, it is caraway seeds like it was mentioned before in the ingredients list. Please always check what is written in the recipe card, I try to make the instructions as clear and short as possible and usually don't write the whole ingredient in the instructions again because it is already listed in the Ingredients (referring to your paprika comment)...

For the skillet and pot, sauteing carrots and onions in the skillet first is what brings out all their delicious flavor, just throwing them in the pot will not give the same result at all.

Potatoes - my potatoes didn't fall apart. The acidity from sauerkraut helps the potatoes to remain firm while cooking. Maybe use other types of potato and cut the potatoes not too small? Russet are not good for this kind of soup.

That being said, I found the instructions to be lacking. I'm one of those cooks who follows the recipe to a tee, so discrepancies in the recipe lead to indecision and questioning on my part. I'm working on it!

The ingredients list does not mention thyme, but Step 4 does. I opted for 1/2 tsp. The ingredients list mentions smoked paprika, but the instructions just say paprika (very different spices in terms of smokiness).

Step 7 threw me off because it said to add the broth and the vegetables/spices to the pot - this one is my fault though! Instead of using a skillet, I opted to saute everything in the same pot I boiled the ribs in to avoid dirtying another dish. I like this option also because then you can deglaze the pot to get the caramelized onion bits into the soup.

I'm not sure the grated carrots need to be cooked 5 minutes with the onions in the pan. I might skip this step in the future and throw them into the broth with the potatoes. I also don't necessarily agree with throwing the potatoes in to cook 12-15 minutes and THEN adding the sauerkraut to cook an additional 20 minutes. I found my potatoes to be overcooked/falling apart. Perhaps I had the heat too high after I added my sauerkraut, but no temperature was listed.... When I added the pork back in, I opted to cook until heated through as I didn't want to wait another 5 minutes.

Overall, I found this dish to be very tasty but the instructions to be a little clunky or not what I would do - I do understand there's more than one way to cook though! I'll likely adapt this for my own use.

Thank you, Julia for taking the time to put this up on your blog! I'll be sure to check out your other cabbage recipes!