Eastern European · Lunch · Dinner
Shchi (Russian Cabbage Soup)
Щи
A hearty, warming Russian soup of tender beef, sweet white cabbage, potatoes and carrots in a light tomato-tinged broth, finished with fresh dill. Comforting and filling, yet light enough for an everyday meal.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 105 min
- Total
- 130 min
- Serves
- 6
Calories come from: Carbs 47% · Fat 22% · Protein 31%
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Ingredients
For 6 servings- 400 g (about 14 oz)lean beef chuck, trimmed of visible fat
- 8 1/2 cups (2 litres)2,000 gwater
- 2 leavesbay leaves
- 1 tspwhole black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp14 gsunflower oil
- 1 large150 gonion, finely chopped
- 2 medium120 gcarrots, coarsely grated
- 2 tbsp32 gtomato paste
- 2 medium250 gfresh tomatoes, chopped
- 3 medium450 gpotatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 medium head700 gwhite cabbage, thinly shredded
- 3 cloves9 ggarlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp9 gsalt
- 1/2 cup loosely packed10 gfresh dill, chopped
- 6 tbsp90 glight sour cream, to serve (optional)
Steps
- 1
Rinse the beef and place it in a large pot with the water.
- 2
Bring to a boil over high heat, about 5 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises.
- 3
Add the bay leaves and peppercorns, lower the heat, cover partly and simmer gently for 75 minutes until the beef is tender.
- 4
While the beef simmers, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion and carrots for 6 minutes until soft.
- 5
Stir the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes into the pan and cook for 4 minutes until thick, then set aside.
- 6
Lift the beef out of the broth, cut it into bite-sized pieces and return it to the pot.
- 7
Add the potatoes to the simmering broth and cook for 10 minutes.
- 8
Add the shredded cabbage and simmer for 10 minutes until just tender.
- 9
Stir in the tomato and vegetable mixture, garlic and salt, and simmer for 5 minutes more; the beef should be fork-tender and well cooked through.
- 10
Remove the bay leaves and taste for seasoning.
- 11
Ladle into bowls and scatter with dill, adding a spoonful of light sour cream if you like.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a vegan version, replace the beef and water with vegetable broth plus a can of drained white beans, and top with a plant-based yogurt or a squeeze of lemon instead of sour cream.
- For a dairy-free bowl, skip the sour cream and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
- For a lighter, quicker soup, use skinless chicken thighs instead of beef and simmer for about 35 minutes until cooked through.
- If fresh tomatoes are out of season, use 200 g (about 3/4 cup) of canned chopped tomatoes instead.
Storage
Cool and refrigerate within 2 hours in a covered container for 3 to 4 days, and reheat until steaming hot. The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months, though the potatoes may turn a little soft. Add the dill and sour cream only when serving.
Make ahead
Simmer the beef broth a day ahead, chill it and lift off any fat that sets, then finish with the vegetables when ready. You can also make the whole soup a day early, since shchi tastes even better the next day.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: Milk
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (691 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 227 kcal | 33 kcal |
| Protein | 18.8 g | 2.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 27.9 g | 4 g |
| of which sugars | 8.1 g | 1.2 g |
| Fiber | 6.4 g | 0.9 g |
| Fat | 5.7 g | 0.8 g |
| of which saturated | 1.6 g | 0.2 g |
| Sodium | 696 mg | 101 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
