Shchi - Russian Cabbage Soup

Shchi is a Russian Cabbage Soup, perfect for when the weather gets cold. It's a heart warming, comforting bowl of home made soup. Jam packed with veggies, a hearty and flavorful dinner. A healthy, budget friendly meal.

What is Russian Cabbage Soup?

Shchi soup has been eaten in Russia for about a 1000 years, every since cabbage was introduced to Russia. Shchi is a staple on every Russian table, usually served with sour cream and rye bread. There are many variations of Shchi, and it's made almost like a Borscht without beets.

Ingredients You'll Need

• beef stock (see homemade recipe below)
• small cabbage
• potatoes
• large onion
• carrot
• 3 tomatoes or 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• small red pepper
• bay leaf
• fresh parsley and dill for garnish

Start with a Broth

It's easy to buy broth from the store, but homemade broth tastes better and adds meaty chunks to your soup. The fastest way is to make Instant Pot Broth, which only takes an hour, but I've included the traditional soup broth recipe below.

You'll need the meatiest beef soup bones you can find, so you can pick off the meat to use in your soup. You can also use a chunk of bone-in steak to add extra flavor and meat to your broth.

1. Place 2 lbs/1kg soup bones into a pot and fill the pot with water
2. Add 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 ribs of celery, ½ head of garlic, and fresh parsley
3. Season with a teaspoon peppercorns and 2 cloves and a bay leaf
4. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer for 2-3 hours (the longer the better)
5. Skim off any impurities, strain the broth and set aside the meat to place into your soup.

How to Make Shchi

After you prepare the broth, it's time to prepare the rest of the soup! Pro Tip: prepare the broth the night before, so all you have left is to make the soup when you're ready!

Prepare the Vegetables

• shred the cabbage
• cube the potatoes
• chop onion
• grate carrot
• chop tomatoes
• dice red pepper

Making Shchi

1. Bring beef broth to a boil.
2. Add shredded cabbage, bay leaf and potatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes. (When you add the cabbage into the soup, it's very full, but it cooks down significantly)
3. While simmering, caramelize onions and carrots in a frying pan until they are golden.
4. Add the red pepper and tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Mix in cooked vegetables into the soup pot, including meat from the bones and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with fresh herbs.

Tips and FAQs

Shchi Soup Variations

Peppers - Most Shchi soups don't have red peppers in the recipe. The further south you were located in Russia, the more likely you would add red peppers. They add a nice sweetness, color and vitamins to your soup.

Sauerkraut - Shchi has an element of sourness. It's common to add a small jar of sauerkraut, just adding a bit of tang to your recipe. You'll be surprised how good it tastes.

Rassol - another method of adding tang to your soup is adding Rassol, which is the liquids from your dill pickles or pickled tomatoes. You don't need a lot, taste and adjust to taste.

Sorrel - when Sorrel (Schavel) is in season, add a small handful to increase sourness.

What to Serve with Schi

• Dark Rye Bread and Smetana (sour cream)
• Fried Piroshki or Baked Piroshki
• Pickled Tomatoes with Veggies
• Pickled Garlic with Beets
• Pickled Squash

Can you Make Shchi in Advance?

Yes. Prepare all ingredients the day before. Make the beef broth, strain and keep in the fridge. The vegetables can all be shredded and cut in advance, covered in cling wrap or in tupperware ready to be cooked. The potatoes can be diced, but need to be placed in water so they don't go brown.

How Long Does Shchi Last?

Keep refrigerated. It should last 3 days in the fridge when kept in an closed container.

Can You Freeze Cabbage Soup?

Yes! The great thing about this recipe is that it freezes well. Just pop your leftovers in the freezer for an easy meal to be enjoyed another day!

Popular Slavic Soups Recipes

Ukha Fish Soup
Vegetarian Cabbage Soup
Beef Borscht
Sorrel Soup (Schavel)
Instant Pot Cabbage Soup with Sauerkraut

This Shchi Cabbage Soup recipe is classic Eastern European comfort food. A hearty, budget friendly and delicious soup, perfect this fall or winter. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!

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