How to cook cabbage soup: time-tested recipes

Shchi is a multi-component seasoning soup, the face of Russian cuisine. The dish has an old history and long-standing traditions. Lifehacker will teach you how to cook cabbage soup from the freshest and sauerkraut according to all the rules. The prize is a recipe for cabbage soup with mushrooms and fish.

The word “cabbage soup” (shti) comes from the Old Russian “sti”. This was the name given to any liquid nutritious food. Cabbage stews began to be prepared in the 9th century, when this vegetable was brought to Rus' and began to be grown. The dish quickly captured the people's love.

The “female spirit” was constantly present in the house. The cabbage soup could do anything for itself. They could be prepared at any time of the year: in the summer with fresh cabbage, and in the winter with sauerkraut. And they never got boring.

Do you understand that in the 18th–19th centuries, cabbage soup was frozen in the form of huge ice circles and taken with them on the road, and later chopped, heated and eaten?

Cabbage soup was cooked in village huts, noble estates, and royal palaces. Wealthy sections of the population could afford rich cabbage soup (with meat), while more ordinary people prepared a mostly vegetarian option - empty cabbage soup. But no matter what the ingredients were, the cabbage soup was certainly simmered in a Russian oven. So the vegetables did not boil in boiling water, but evenly revealed their own taste.

At the moment, you can indulge yourself in at least gazpacho, even miso, or even creamy soup. But cabbage soup is still the most favorite dish for almost everyone. Therefore, we will tell you how to cook excellent cabbage soup.

Rich cabbage soup made from sauerkraut or fresh cabbage

This is a modern variation of rich cabbage soup - without snow-white mushrooms and turnips (may Pokhlebkin forgive us). But even an inexperienced cook can handle the technology.

Ingredients for a three-liter saucepan:

500 g meat on the bone;
300 g sauerkraut or fresh cabbage;
3 small onions;
2–3 potatoes;
2 tomatoes;
1 small carrot;
1 tablespoon of tomato paste;
vegetable oil for frying;
bay leaf, salt, peppercorns, allspice and other spices - to taste;
dill, parsley, sour cream for serving.

Step 1. Cook the broth

Usually, meat cabbage soup is cooked in beef broth, choosing the brisket, chuck and other parts of the carcass with bones. But you can eat pork and even chicken.

Pour water over the meat and cook over medium heat. When it starts to boil, watch for foam. Otherwise, you will have to strain the broth.

Step 2. Add cabbage

This is the main component of cabbage soup. The most commonly consumed is sauerkraut. They even add its brine to the soup. Thanks to sauerkraut, cabbage soup gets that sourness for which almost everyone adores them so much.

Sour cabbage soup is not cabbage soup at all, but a type of kvass. This is what they called a honey-malt drink in the old days, which was used to cure hangovers. At the moment, almost everyone incorrectly calls sour cabbage soup with sauerkraut.

When the broth boils, add cabbage to the pan. If you have it very vigorous, then you need to wash it in advance.

If you are preparing cabbage soup from fresh cabbage, do not forget that, unlike sauerkraut, it must be added at the end of cooking, before the potatoes.

Reduce heat and taste broth for salt. Usually the cabbage is completely salty, but if desired, you can add a little salt. The cabbage and meat should be cooked for about another hour.

Step 3. Frying

Shchi is a filling soup, which means you can’t do without frying it. Fry finely chopped onion in vegetable oil, then add chopped carrots and chopped tomato, and at the very end another tablespoon of tomato paste so that the soup has a rich color.

Previously, onions were placed in cabbage soup twice. The first time I whole the onion along with the meat when cooking the broth (later it was removed). There was even a saying: “There’s a need for an onion, but there’s an onion in the cabbage soup.” The second time the onion was added finely chopped along with the cabbage.

Step 4. Assembling cabbage soup

After an hour and a half of cooking, remove the meat from the broth, and when it has cooled slightly, separate it from the bone and cut into small pieces. Then return it to the soup along with the roast and potatoes.

First, rye flour was added to the cabbage soup for thickness. With the spread of potatoes, this vegetable took over the function of starching the broth.

Step 5. Add spices

About 10 minutes before cooking, add bay leaf, pepper and other spices to taste into the pan. Try cabbage soup. If they seem under-salted, add some salt.

In the old days, cabbage soup was served with kondum (ears with mushrooms and other innards), perepechi or nanny. Remember from Gogol in “Dead Souls”: “... having taken a sip of cabbage soup and taken a large piece of nanny from the dish, a famous dish that is served with cabbage soup and consists of a lamb stomach stuffed with buckwheat porridge...”?

The cabbage soup is ready! Sour cream and fresh herbs are usually used as a dressing.

Daytime cabbage soup

Previously, a cast iron pot with cabbage soup could simmer for hours until the oven cooled down. The longer, the tastier. This is how a special type of cabbage arose - daytime ones. Their composition is the same as regular meat ones, but they take much longer to prepare.

To transform ordinary cabbage soup into daily cabbage soup, after making it, you need to pour it into clay pots and put it in the oven, preheated to 220 degrees. When the soup boils, reduce the temperature to 160 °C and simmer for another two hours. After this, reduce the temperature by 10–15 degrees every hour until you reach 70–80 °C. This simulates the temperature regime of a cooling Russian oven.

Another option: after cooking, wrap the pan with cabbage soup in something warm and let it cool evenly (this will take 4–6 hours).

In addition, you can use a multicooker, experimenting with the baking and stewing mode, as well as the keep warm function.

Cabbage soup with mushrooms and fish

This is a variant of empty cabbage soup. It is ideal for those who do not eat meat or fast.

Ingredients for a three-liter saucepan:

350 g of chum salmon, cod or any other fish with a small number of bones;
400 g sauerkraut;
150–200 g of new wild mushrooms;
3 small onions;
2–3 potatoes;
2 tomatoes;
1 small carrot;
1 tablespoon of tomato paste;
butter and vegetable oil for frying;
bay leaf, salt, peppercorns, allspice and other spices to taste;
dill, parsley, sour cream for serving.

Manufacturing

Pour water into a saucepan and add sauerkraut. When it starts to boil, skim off the foam and reduce the heat to low. Cabbage should be cooked for 40–60 minutes. Then add the freshest fish, cut into large pieces, to the broth. After 20 minutes, catch the fish, separate it from the bones and chop it. Return the fish to the broth.

Shchi is a national Russian dish.

Russian cabbage soup (the ancient name is shti) is a hot dish based on sauerkraut or fresh cabbage, which has been prepared since ancient times in Rus' and has a long history. Eras, power, people and customs changed, but one thing remained constant - hot, rich cabbage soup, sometimes poor or empty (lean based on mushrooms and vegetables), from time to time rich (meat or fish) on the table of virtually every Russian person. They were eaten by everyone, young and old: kings and farmers, the spirit of veneration was present both in poor huts and in merchants’ mansions, the significance of this dish in the life of a Russian person was not small, hence the huge number of sayings on this topic:

“Soup soup and porridge are our food”; “The cabbage soup is the head of everything”; “Where there is cabbage soup, look for Russians.”

History of Shchi in Rus'

(S.A. Vinogradov “Workers’ Lunch”, 1890 )

They began preparing cabbage soup around the 11th century, when the Russian people became acquainted with cabbage imported from Old Rome, which was considered a delicacy there and a recognized remedy for healing and preventing various diseases. The Russian people, with the help of natural resourcefulness and observation, quickly figured out all the useful characteristics of the overseas vegetable, quickly found a use for it, and began to use fresh and pickled cabbage in various dishes, both daily and on special occasions.

Origin of the word “Shchi”

In the history of the origin of the word "Shchi" there are several versions, some believe that it comes from the Old Russian " s'to " - food, food, or " s'ti " - a liquid brew, a hot stew, seasoned with cabbage, sorrel or other greenish vegetables, others prefer the version origin from the Slavic word “shchaven” - sorrel, there is even an assumption about the Danish roots of this word, the Danish word “ sky ” - stew, decoction. The uniqueness of the word “Shchi” in pronunciation is that it is a word made up of two Russian letters, and to pronounce it in other languages you will need at least several letters. There are also differences in pronunciation and spelling options, as, for example, in the Russian word form “ Poesh-ka shchetc ”.

How to prepare cabbage soup in Rus'

(Kustodiev “Vegetable Trader”)

In any given locality, cabbage soup was cooked differently, adding its own unique ingredients, only the method of preparation remained similar for everyone - cabbage soup must certainly be cooked in a cast iron pot and a clay pot of a Russian oven, and not just boiled, but simmered and infused for some time in order to so that they get their own rich and unique taste and smell. The cabbage soup pot itself was a particularly revered household item; it was painstakingly washed and even spoken to.

Cabbage soup contains several main components:

Fresh or sauerkraut (or greenish mass replacing it - nettle, sorrel, turnip);
Meat (in its absence it was replaced by fish or mushrooms);
Various roots (carrots, parsley rhizomes);
Spicy dressing (onions, celery roots, garlic, dill, bay leaf, pepper);
Sour dressing (cabbage or apple pickle, sour cream, sour milk or yogurt).

One of the most recognizable dishes of Russian cuisine is cabbage soup. It is believed that this dish was understood in Rus' for a long time before its baptism. At first it was a simple stew, with cabbage not an integral component. Then only cabbage soups began to be called cabbage soup. In Rus', any housewife can skillfully prepare this dish, and the quality of the cabbage soup could reveal her homeliness. “Not the housewife who speaks beautifully, but the one who cooks cabbage soup excellently.” Tastes have changed, but people's love for cabbage soup has remained for centuries.

Sauerkraut cabbage soup with chicken in a slow cooker

Cabbage soup with sauerkraut is an indescribably delicious dish. And it’s best to cook them in a slow cooker. There, the cabbage soup has time to simmer well, and this makes the taste very reminiscent of the soup from the “Russian stove.” For a detailed recipe for cabbage soup with sauerkraut in a slow cooker, see.

Cabbage soup from the freshest cabbage with chickpeas

A vegetable soup recipe that is suitable for any time of year. But in the summer it is especially pleasant to cook it. After all, soups made from seasonal products always turn out the most delicious. Wash the chickpeas for cabbage soup in advance and soak in water overnight (that is, at night) so that it cooks faster.

Goose cabbage soup with sauerkraut

After preparing the goose carcass for smoking, all that remained were the giblets, neck and wings. From these you can make a tasty broth, which is suitable as a base for any soup. This recipe describes prigo.

Cabbage soup from the freshest cabbage with beans

Lenten cabbage soup with the freshest cabbage and beans turns out so tasty and rich that you won’t bother about the lack of meat in them. Just listen to the advice: soak the beans in cool water in advance and cook separately. Add it to the cabbage soup.

Cabbage soup with mushrooms

A recipe for cabbage soup with fresh cabbage and wild mushrooms for those who love fragrant soups without meat. Naturally, no one will stop you from boiling them in meat broth, as I did. Yes, and in water, cabbage soup turns out tasty, especially if you cook it with snow-white or poultry.

Cabbage soup from the freshest cabbage with chicken and beans

Hot homemade cabbage soup can even be prepared using chicken. The broth is not as rich as beef broth, but overall the soup turned out tasty. The freshest cabbage and tomatoes, together with aromatic sweet peppers, give the cabbage soup a vegetable lightness, but the pieces of chicken add a touch of vegetable lightness.

Cabbage soup with chanterelles

We suggest preparing cabbage soup with chanterelles according to this recipe. The base of the soup is chicken broth, which can be cooked in advance, and just before lunch, put a pan of chicken broth on the stove and add other cabbage soup ingredients. Naturally, together.

Cabbage soup with meatballs

We suggest preparing cabbage soup with meatballs and summer vegetables - with young cabbage, potatoes, sweet peppers and carrots from the latest harvest. It’s not absolutely necessary to add tomato, but if this is more usual for you, then add a little to the vegetable sauté.

Shchi with chicken and young cabbage

With the new crop of vegetables emerging, it’s time to cook cabbage soup in chicken broth with young cabbage. Any part of a chicken carcass is suitable for cooking broth. In this recipe, broth for cabbage soup with young cabbage is prepared using chicken legs. .

Cabbage soup made from sauerkraut with millet and beef ribs

Cabbage soup is a hearty first course. There are many recipes for making this beloved roast dish by almost everyone. Some people prefer to cook lean cabbage soup using vegetable or mushroom broth, while others prepare this ordinary Russian soup with meat boule.

Cabbage soup from the freshest cabbage with beans

A plate of hot cabbage soup is appropriate at any time of day. I’m not advocating eating soup for breakfast, but lunch or dinner will be even more enjoyable, more homely, if there is a steaming plate of rich cabbage soup on the table. I’ll tell you a secret that from time to time I make my own lunch with this cabbage soup.

Lenten cabbage soup with pickled cucumbers “Uspenskiye”

Recipe for cabbage soup with young cabbage without meat, but with the addition of pickles. Cucumbers should be specifically salted, not pickled. The resulting seasonal Lenten soup is quite thick and satisfying. The ingredients in the recipe are for a 2 liter pan. .

Cabbage soup from the freshest cabbage in a slow cooker

Meat eaters believe that if there is no meat on the table, then the dinner was a failure. Usually soups are prepared with meat broth. But, as practice shows, cabbage soup without meat tastes just as good. But such vegetable soup is easier to digest. The recipe for cabbage soup in a multicooker is simple.

Shchi with sauerkraut and smoked meats

Any smoked meats are suitable for cabbage soup with sauerkraut. It can be smoked sausages, ham, or, like mine, a piece of smoked brisket. It is important that the meat is truly smoked and not colored by watery smoke. Obviously, it will depend on this.

Shchi with sauerkraut and turnips

With the advent of cold weather, hot cabbage soup with sauerkraut and turnips will become irreplaceable for those who are not used to sniffling and complaining about autumn depression. The recipe for anti-flu cabbage soup is time-tested and suitable for everyone who loves ordinary home cooking.

Shchi with sauerkraut and pearl barley

Cabbage soup with sauerkraut and pearl barley, of course, is not for everyone. The taste is typical, but I like it. Or rather, I really like it. Don't skimp on sauerkraut for cabbage soup. Specifically, it gives ordinary meat broth the appropriate taste and smell. But with pearl barley.

Rakhman cabbage soup

Rakhman cabbage soup is cooked for a long time, and is not boiled, but simmered, like in a stove. The ingredients in the recipe are for a three-liter pan of cabbage soup. And do not confuse Rakhman cabbage soup with Rakhmanovsky. Extreme in all recognizable recipes it is suggested to cook cabbage soup with sturgeon, c.

Summer cabbage soup with butter

It’s a wonderful time when there is a sea of different tasty greens and vegetables on the market, and besides, there are no mushrooms in the forest. For this option, I have a recipe for summer cabbage soup with butter. If anything, bacon is not necessary in the recipe, but it tastes better to us. I'm sharing.

Lenten mushroom soup in a slow cooker

This method of making meatless cabbage soup is quite common and is prepared in one pan. Perfectly suitable for a vegetarian diet (Diet is a set of rules for human consumption of food) . It takes 1 hour to make a large pot of cabbage soup.

Cabbage soup with turkey in a slow cooker

In principle, soups are cooked in a slow cooker using the Finnish method. The cabbage soup comes out like it came out of a Russian stove. You can take any kind of meat - it’s especially delicious to combine chicken and beef, turkey and pig, and goat and lamb. Now the recipe for cabbage soup with sauerkraut.

Daily cabbage soup with pie crusts

In the old days, the method of making cabbage soup was somewhat different from the modern one. The ingredients were placed in a clay pot, covered with a lid and placed in the oven. The cabbage soup simmered for several hours. When the oven was replaced with a stove, the cabbage became the same carcass as before.

section: Russian cuisine

Greenish cabbage soup

Greenish cabbage soup in meat broth with sorrel can be prepared using various methods. This recipe will appeal, above all, to those who value simplicity. Both in the recipe and in the manufacturing process itself.

Sauerkraut cabbage soup

Sauerkraut cabbage soup with mushrooms. We take mushrooms of two types and conditions - the freshest champignons and dried snow-white mushrooms. Cook the broth on the knuckle with the addition of celery.

Delicious recipes for cabbage soup made from fresh cabbage

One of the most popular first courses is cabbage soup made from the freshest cabbage; the soup recipe is quite simple and requires the use of a minimum of ingredients. The base is white cabbage, which is necessary for the smooth functioning of our body. The vegetable contains a large amount of fiber, which has a beneficial effect on the digestion process. Cabbage contains many valuable vitamins and minerals. Therefore, the first dish will turn out indescribably tasty, satisfying and healthy.

Cabbage soup is prepared using vegetable, meat or chicken broth; the recipe with fresh cabbage is neutral in taste. It can be eaten by those who are prohibited from sour vegetables. When served traditionally, the soup is supplemented with sour cream, thick cream, homemade mayonnaise and fresh herbs. Spices will make the soup taste more harmonious. Add bay leaf and peppercorns to the broth. The soup is served with bread, various pastries or crackers.

How to make cabbage soup from fresh cabbage?

Almost all housewives wonder how to prepare delicious cabbage soup from the freshest cabbage correctly. There are several varieties of soup. Full cabbage soup is cooked in a strong meat broth. They turn out indescribably satisfying. Therefore, this soup is not bad for cold weather. It will not only saturate, but also warm. Fish lovers can prepare fish soup. They will be satisfying, but at the same time light, in other words, they will not overload the stomach. There is a recipe for lean cabbage soup, which is prepared with the addition of mushrooms. Such lean cabbage soup is ideal for diets and fasting.

How to make cabbage soup from fresh cabbage?

If you want cabbage soup to become a signature dish, you should follow the main tips:

Meat-based soup should be prepared with a rich broth. To do this, the meat is simmered for at least 2 hours. The scale should be removed constantly so that the broth remains clear. Roots, seasonings and spices will make the soup base the most fragrant;
Cabbage must be dense. Autumn varieties are excellent. It is better to throw fresh cabbage for salads. It is not at all suitable for cooking soups. Cabbage leaves pick up flavors from the broth. Because the longer the cabbage simmers, the richer in taste it becomes;
Some chefs advise cooking cabbage soup in the oven. To do this, cover the pan with foil and leave it in the oven for 1-2 hours;
You can add cereal to the first dish, which is added to the cabbage and potatoes. Cereals diversify the taste and make the soup more nutritious;
To create a thicker base, you can add toasted flour or small potatoes, which will dissolve during the cooking process, making the soup puree.

Ordinary cabbage soup from fresh cabbage: step-by-step recipe

In Rus', cabbage soup was cooked in the oven.
And at the moment, almost all chefs use this trick. Naturally, the production time in this case increases, but the result will outshine all expectations. If you don’t have a lot of time, you can cook the soup on the stove. Shchi is a vegetable first course. Therefore, the composition of the soup can always be enriched with tomatoes, bell peppers and other vegetables. Let's look at a traditional recipe for soup based on meat broth. The amount of meat is taken at the rate of 500 grams per 500 grams of cabbage, in other words, the amount of cabbage and meat must be equal.

Ingredients:

Beef on the bone – 500 g;
Cabbage – 500 gr;
Carrots – 1 piece;
Onions - 1 head;
Tomato – 2 pieces;
Potatoes – 2 pieces;
Vegetable oil – 2 tablespoons;
Garlic – 2 cloves;
Bay leaf – 3-4 pieces;
Pepper – 6 peas;
Salt – ½ tablespoon;
Greens – ½ bunch/for serving;
Sour cream – 100 g/for dressing as desired.

Ordinary cabbage soup from fresh cabbage: step-by-step recipe

Manufacturing method:

We thoroughly wash the beef and remove veins and films. Then fill it with cool water (2-2.5 liters) and put it on fire. As the meat boils, scale will begin to form, which we remove with a slotted spoon. After boiling, turn down the heat and simmer the beef for about 2-2.5 hours;
While the beef is simmering, let's start making vegetables. Let's create a classic roast using carrots, onions and tomatoes. It is better to grate the carrots and cut the onions into small cubes. Simmer them in hot vegetable oil for about 2 minutes. Then add the tomato, peeled and diced. After adding the tomato, simmer the vegetables for another 5-7 minutes;
Shred the cabbage into thin strips. It is better to use a special knife. Some chefs love to cut fish into squares. Overall, it all comes down to personal preference;
After the meat is cooked, remove it from the broth and let it cool slightly. Then separate from the bone and cut into medium cubes. Place the beef back into the broth;
Add cabbage to the base, cook it for 15-20 minutes, and then add potatoes, cut into medium cubes. Bring the broth to a boil;
Add the roast to the soup and simmer for another 15-20 minutes;
Before turning off the heat, add garlic, grated with salt, bay leaf and aromatic pepper. Turn off the heat and add chopped herbs to the soup;
Cover the pan with a lid and let the first dish brew for 15-20 minutes;
Add sour cream to the first dish and serve.

Tender cabbage soup with cabbage: a European-style recipe

In Europe they prefer to cook pureed soups. They differ in an affectionate mixture. Classic cabbage soup can be cooked as a puree. This soup is perfect for a Lenten table. It is complemented with croutons and crackers. You can also use refills. We will look at a Lenten recipe for cabbage soup. But in fact, such a soup can be created using meat broth. It is better to add meat to the ground puree in small pieces.

Some chefs prefer to leave part of the roast, which will decorate the finished dish. Cream will give the finished soup a pleasant taste. During fasting, it is better to consume a plant product.

Ingredients:

Cabbage – 1 kg;
Onions -2 pieces;
Potatoes – 1 piece;
Vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons;
Vegetable or chicken broth - 1.5 liters;
Cream 10% fat - 200 ml;
Cayenne pepper - a pinch.

Tender cabbage soup with cabbage: a European-style recipe

Manufacturing method:

Cut the cabbage leaves into narrow strips and cook, then place in a colander to drain off excess moisture;
Cut the onion into cubes and fry in vegetable oil, then add diced potatoes to it. Simmer the mixture for about 5-7 minutes over low heat. Pour the broth over the vegetables, bring it to a boil and simmer for another 10 minutes;
Add cabbage sticks and pepper to the base. Bring the soup to a boil and remove from heat;
Let it cool for a couple of minutes. After which we grind it through a sieve or punch it with a blender. Option 1 is the longest, but the soup mixture will turn out indescribably airy!
Pour the pureed soup into a saucepan and put on fire. Add heavy cream to it and bring the soup to a boil. Turn off the heat and serve the dish to the table!

Fish soup: traditional recipe

Cabbage soup made from the freshest cabbage is quite tasty and unusual: the traditional recipe is similar to the recipe made from meat. The exception is the broth, which is cooked using several types of fish. Typically, pike perch, burbot, and cod are consumed. You can take a soup set of reddish fish. If you want to prepare cabbage soup for a special version, then halibut is suitable, from which comes a rich fatty broth with beautiful taste characteristics.

Some chefs advise cooking broth using fish fillets, because when using bones, the fishy taste comes out and the soup begins to resemble fish soup. But it’s better to try both options so that you have the opportunity to choose the best for yourself.

Ingredients:

Fish fillet with boneless skin – 600 g;
White cabbage – 600 g;
Carrots – 1 piece;
Onions - 1 piece;
Tomato paste – 1 tablespoon;
Flour – 2 tablespoons;
Spices and salt - to taste;
Fresh herbs - ½ bunch;
Vegetable oil - for frying;
Butter – 1 tablespoon.

Fish soup: traditional recipe

Manufacturing method:

We carefully wash the fish, fill it with cool water and put it on the fire. Add bay leaf and favorite spices. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer the soup for about 10 minutes;
While the broth is cooking, let's sauté the vegetables. Fry carrots and onions in vegetable oil, after a few minutes add tomato paste. Simmer for another 5-7 minutes;
Shred the cabbage into thin strips and add to the strained fish broth. Remove the fish from the broth and place in a separate pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the frying mixture to it. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the cabbage is ready;
Saute the flour in heated butter until it turns golden brown, add it to the broth;
Cook the soup over low heat for 3-5 minutes;
Place several pieces of fish on a plate, fill it with broth, sprinkle the soup with herbs and serve it to the table.

No less tasty are cabbage soup with mushrooms, which can be eaten pickled, fresh, or dried. If you like the most sour taste, then you should eat sauerkraut. There are a huge number of recipes for making soup. Therefore, you will always be able to prepare the first dish in a special way and amaze your loved ones and guests.