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Shchi
Cabbage Soup
Shchi
Shchi is the most Russian of soups, and coupled with kasha it represents basic Russian fare, straightforward in both preparation and spirit. Russian folk wisdom advises, 'If the shchi's good, you don't need anything else.' And it's true that a bowl of this hearty soup is enormously satisfying, begging only a chunk of black bread with garlic to round out the meal. There are several different kinds of shchi. The original soup was made exclusively from fermented cabbage (sauerkraut), hence the name kislye shchi or sour cabbage soup. Kislye shchi is still very popular it is a wintertime soup, harking back to the days before mass production, when the soup could not be prepared until the sauerkraut, put up in the early autumn, had fermented. At some point an inventive cook decided to make cabbage soup in the summer as well, and resorted to using fresh cabbage. Thus lenivye shchi or 'lazy' cabbage soup was born: the cook was able to avoid the laborious process of souring the cabbage before turning it into soup. The shchi offered here is slightly unorthodox, as it combines both the summer and winter variations, but the small dose of sauerkraut adds a nice tang without making the soup overly heavy. This version of shchi can be served year-round with equanimity.
Ingredients
1 oz (30 g) butter
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 small leek, white part only, thinly sliced
1 small carrot, scraped and thinly sliced
2 pints (1.2litres) rich beef stock
1 small head white cabbage ( ¾ lb/340 g), coarsely shredded
4 oz (120 g) sauerkraut
1 tomato, peeled and cut into chunks
salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
soured cream
fresh dill (optional)
Details
Serves: 5
Method
Melt the butter in a stockpot. Add the onions, leeks and carrots and saute them until they just begin to soften. Pour in the beef stock and bring to the boil. Stir in the shredded cabbage, sauerkraut and tomato.
Simmer the soup, covered, for about 50 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender. Check for seasoning. To serve, top each portion with a dollop of soured cream and a sprinkling of fresh dill, if desired.
Note:- As with most Russian soups, the shchi tastes best when prepared a day ahead and refrigerated overnight before serving.
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