Russia · Soups
Fresh Cabbage Shchi
A light, clean Russian cabbage soup made with fresh white cabbage rather than sauerkraut — beef broth, potatoes, a fresh tomato base, and a carrot-onion sauté, finished with sour cream and dill.
Ingredients
- beef600 g
- white cabbage500 g
- potatoes400 g
- tomatoes200 g
- carrot1 pcs
- onion1 pcs
- bay leaf2 pcs
- black peppercorns6 pcs
- salt8 g
- vegetable oil20 ml
- sour cream90 g
- dill10 g
Method
- 1Make the broth: put 600 g of beef on the bone into a large pot with about 2.5 litres of cold water, bring slowly to a boil, and skim the foam. Lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for about 1 hour until the meat is tender. Lift it out, cut the meat off the bone, and return it to the strained broth.
- 2Shred 500 g of white cabbage thinly. Add it to the simmering broth and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until it softens but still holds a little bite.
- 3Peel and cube the potatoes. Add them to the pot and cook 10 minutes. Potatoes go in before anything acidic, so they cook through properly.
- 4Make the zazharka: sauté the diced onion and grated carrot in oil for 5 minutes, then add the grated or chopped tomatoes and cook another 5 minutes until they collapse into a soft base.
- 5Stir the zazharka into the soup and simmer everything together for 10 minutes so the flavours combine.
- 6Add the bay leaf, peppercorns, and salt to taste. Simmer 5 more minutes, then taste and adjust. Fresh cabbage shchi should be light and clean, not sour like the sauerkraut version.
- 7Take off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot with a spoon of sour cream and plenty of chopped dill.