Vegetarian Cabbage Soup is a flavorful and healthier way to eat Russian Shchi Soup. There's nothing more comforting than a bowl of homemade soup on a cold day, or when you're not feeling well. Vegan and vegetarian soups are full of flavor, especially if you make the stock properly. You won't even realize you're eating a soup without meat.
Vegetarian Cabbage Soup has been eaten in Russia for about a 1000 years, ever since cabbage was introduced to Russia. It can be made with meat or as a vegetarian dish. Shchi is a staple on every Russian table, usually served with sour cream and rye bread. There’s a saying in Russian, ”Щи да каша — пища наша.” which means Shchi and kasha – are our food. The main difference between Shchi and Borscht is the addition of beets.
Can I Be a Part Time Vegetarian?
There are many reasons to eat a Vegan or Vegetarian Cabbage Soup. You might be a part-time vegetarian when observing Lent, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, or even sometimes plain old every single Fridays (according to your faith). Perhaps you want to start cutting out fats from your diet, and a healthy meat free diet could possibly help lower your cholesterol. You might be on a meat fast, limiting your meat intake. So many reasons to eat a vegetarian soup dish.
It's always best to make your own vegetable stock from scratch. I usually prepare the stock the night before, then really all that's left is to prep the vegetables for the Cabbage Soup. There are many ways to prepare Russian cabbage soups, from Shchi to Instant Pot Shchi, and the many varieties of Borscht, all are delicious, especially this vegan one! Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Ingredients
- ½ cabbage chopped and shredded
- 3 medium potatoes cubed in small pieces
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 carrot grated
- 3 medium tomatoes chopped
- 1 small red pepper diced (capsicum)
- oil for frying
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper to taste
- generous handful of dill for garnish add extra to the soup
Vegetable Stock - to make at least 5 litres
- 2 large onions quartered
- 3 celery stalks leaves attached, roughly chopped
- 3 carrots unpeeled
- handful of mushrooms
- 5 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
- Few sprigs of fresh herbs - thyme parsley, oregano, sage
Instructions
Vegetarian Soup Stock
- Place soup pot on the stove. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, mushrooms, peppercorns, and the herbs to the pot and bring to a boil.
- When it reaches the boil, simmer on low with a semi-covered lid for 2 hours. (the longer the better). Strain the soup into a colander over a large bowl to remove the vegetables.
- Using a cheesecloth (muslin), strain the soup again to remove the small impurities to make a clear broth. Your stock is now ready to use for your soup. Any excess stock, easily freezes for another meal.
Vegetarian Cabbage Soup
- Take at least 5 litres of soup stock and bring to a boil. Add the shredded cabbage, bay leaf and diced potatoes and cook for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked.
- While the soup is simmering, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Fry chopped onions and grated carrots until they are starting to lightly brown.
- Add the red pepper and fry for two minutes. Mix in the chopped tomatoes including juices and cook for 2 minutes.
- Take the fried onion/tomato mixture and add to soup when the potatoes are cooked. Stir and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Season the soup with Vegetable Stock Powder and regular salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped dill. Serve with Rye bread and optional sour cream.
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