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Russian Cabbage Soup is delicious and easy to make. I love eating this hearty and warming autumn favourite. Enjoyed in Russia for over 1000 years! Shchi (Щи)
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Shchi - Cabbage Soup

Shchi - Russian Cabbage Soup is delicious, easy to make and budget friendly! A hearty and warming autumn favorite with cabbage, potatoes and tender chunks of meat. A tasty dinner that's enough to feed a family with leftovers!
Course Soup
Cuisine Eastern European, Russian
Keyword Russian Cabbage Soup, Shchi
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

Beef Broth Ingredients

  • 2 pounds /1 kg meaty soup bones
  • 2 onions cut in half
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 ribs celery
  • ½ head garlic
  • 1 teaspoon peppercorns
  • 1 whole clove
  • 1 bay leaf

Shchi Ingredients

  • 4 quarts /litres of beef stock
  • ½ small cabbage chopped and shredded
  • 3 medium potatoes cubed in small pieces
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 carrot grated
  • 3 medium tomatoes chopped or 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
  • 1 small red pepper diced
  • 2 tablespoons oil for frying
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • parsley and dill for garnish chopped

Instructions

Making Beef Broth

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

Making Shchi

  • Bring beef broth to a boil in a large stockpot.
  • 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 about 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Fry chopped onions and grated carrots until they start to lightly brown.
  • Add the red pepper and tomatoes and fry for 2-3 minutes.
  • When the potatoes are cooked in the soup, add the fried vegetables and any meat from the soup bones to the soup when the potatoes are cooked. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
  • Season salt and pepper, garnish with fresh parsley and dill.