For the Ritschert, sauté sliced onion in lard. Sauté the celery and add the soup. Add beans, rolled barley, spices and garlic and simmer slowly on low heat for about 2 hours. (Be careful, it burns easily!) Stir repeatedly and add more soup if necessary.
After about 1 hour, add the potato cubes and simmer for another hour. Mix in the smoked meat, season with sage and serve.