Schi (Russian Cabbage Soup) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 head cabbage, cut into small wedges
1 (24 ounce) jar sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
6 slices bacon, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 can chopped tomatoes (DO NOT drain) or 2 -3 chopped fresh tomatoes (DO NOT drain)
1 cup uncooked barley

Preparation

In a medium-to-large stewpot or crockpot, layer the above ingredients in the following order: Bacon, 1/4 of the cabbage, 1/4 of the sauerkraut, 1/4 of the tomatoes, 1/4 of the barley.
Layer the remaining cabbage, sauerkraut, tomatoes and barley in the same amounts and order.
If there appears to be insufficient tomato juice, add about 1 cup water.
Salt and pepper if desired.
Cover, cook on high for about 20 minutes, then reduce heat to simmer and cook for an additional 3-5 hours, checking occasionally to make sure your heat is low enough that the soup does not burn.