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Russian

Shchi

Non-vegetarian

Щи · Shchi

Russia's classic cabbage soup: beef broth simmered with cabbage, potato, carrot and a little tomato, finished with dill and a spoon of sour cream.

Shchi is a Russian soup, ready in about 2 hours 20 minutes and made with beef chuck and cabbage. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Bowl of shchi cabbage soup with beef, soured cream and fresh herbs
Photo: Шнапс / Wikimedia Commons · public-domain
Prep
20 min
Cook
2 h
Total
2 h 20 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
223

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Cover the beef with the water, bring to the boil, skim, add the bay leaves (opens in a new tab) and simmer gently until tender.

  2. Step 2

    Lift out the beef and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Add the salt, potatoes (opens in a new tab) and cabbage (opens in a new tab) to the broth and simmer for 10 minutes.

    • 12 min
    • medium-low heat

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile fry the onion (opens in a new tab) and carrot (opens in a new tab) in the oil until soft, stir in the tomato paste (opens in a new tab) and cook for a minute.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Add the fried vegetables, garlic (opens in a new tab), pepper (opens in a new tab) and beef to the pot and simmer until the cabbage (opens in a new tab) is soft. Stir in the dill (opens in a new tab).

    • 10 min
    • low heat

  5. Step 5

    Ideally leave to stand for a while, then serve hot with sour cream (opens in a new tab) and black rye bread.

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Russia · Well documentedMore food from Russia
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Soups · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Simmered, Boiled
    Taste
    savoury, mild, herby
    Diet
    No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Low-fat · Low-sodium · Calorie-conscious
    Without the optional extras: Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    One-pot · Batch cooking · Freezer-friendly · Budget-friendly
    Cook more with
    Beef chuck · Cabbage · Bay leaves · Potato · Onion · Carrot
    Techniques
    Boiling · Simmering

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom sour cream

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    223 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 673 g · recipe makes 6

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 36%
    • Carbohydrate 31%
    • Fat 33%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy223 kcal33 kcal
    Protein20.7 g3.1 g
    Carbohydrate17.5 g2.6 g
    Net carbohydrate13.6 g2 g
    Sugars4.7 g0.7 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre3.9 g0.6 g
    Fat8.5 g1.3 g
    Saturated fat2.1 g0.3 g
    Trans fat0.2 g0 g
    Cholesterol53 mg8 mg
    Sodium782 mg116 mg
    Salt equivalent2 g0.3 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    757 mg
    Calcium
    105 mg
    Iron
    2.8 mg
    Magnesium
    52 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    93 µg
    Vitamin C
    44 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.1 µg
    Vitamin B12
    1.9 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    52 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: sour cream.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Shchi famously tastes better the next day.

    Common mistakes

    • Adding the cabbage too early so it turns grey and mushy; it needs only about 20 minutes.

    Food safety

    • Simmer the beef until tender.
    • Cool leftovers quickly (shallow containers) and refrigerate within 2 hours; reheat until piping hot (75 °C).

    Storage

    • Keeps 4 days in the fridge; freezes well.

    Reheating

    • Bring back to a simmer.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 5

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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