Shchi is one of the most popular Russian soups, made with sauerkraut, cabbage and potatoes. It's so hearty, tart and savory and the creamy sour cream and fresh herbs brings all these flavors together in the most perfect combination of flavors.
As early as the 9th century, Shchi has been a staple on the Russian table. Russians have a proverb that states "Щи да каша – пища наша." (Shchi da kasha - pishcha nasha "Shchi and kasha are our staples").
Not only does it have the sour taste that Russians love from the sauerkraut, but the ingredients of the soup are perfect for the long Russian winters. Cabbage, sauerkraut and potatoes are all ingredients that could be grown in Russia even with the short summer season and then stored throughout the long winter in the cellar.
Dry mushrooms were also used in many different ways and I absolutely love them in this soup. They add such an incredible depth and amazing flavor to the soup. You can use any kind of meat in shchi or even make a vegetarian version by omitting the meat and using vegetable broth.
Ingredients For Shchi
The main ingredients in this soup are sauerkraut, cabbage, potatoes and dry mushrooms.
The onion and carrots add more flavor to the soup and the fresh herbs are added at the end for a touch of fresh flavor.
I use both sauerkraut and fresh cabbage because it makes a nice combination of flavor and texture. The fresh cabbage dilutes the tart sauerkraut flavor a bit and adds a more mild and has a more tender texture.
What Type of Mushrooms Should Be Used in Shchi?
My favorite dry mushrooms to use in this soup are porcini mushrooms, but you can use any type of mushrooms that you like. I also like dry chanterelle mushrooms. Dry mushrooms have a completely different flavor and texture than fresh mushrooms, but you can use them as well. You can also omit the mushrooms if you prefer.
Chicken Broth For Shchi
I often have chicken broth in my freezer, so that's what I use it for the soup. You can use any chicken broth or vegetable broth for Shchi. You can also start the soup by making the chicken broth from scratch.
- Chicken drumsticks are perfect to make broth, but you can use any chicken pieces for the broth. Cook the broth at a low simmer, with some whole black peppercorns, a few dry bay leaves and salt to taste, for 35-45 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the broth, take the meat off the both and cut it into bite sized pieces. Set aside to be added to the soup later.
- Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve lined with a paper towel or cheesecloth. Take the chicken off the bone, and use a fork or knife to shred it into bite sized pieces.
Preparing Shchi
- In a large pot or dutch oven, sauté the onion and carrot on medium heat for about 5 minutes until they are tender.
- It is important to rehydrate dry mushrooms in boiling water before adding them to the soup. While the vegetables are cooking, place the dry mushrooms into a bowl and pour boiling water over the mushrooms. Set aside for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the mushrooms with a fork, leaving behind the soot in the bottom of the bowl. Wash the mushrooms throughly before adding them to the soup. Strain the mushroom liquid through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or a paper towel. Add the mushroom liquid and the chicken broth the soup, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, cabbage and sauerkraut to the soup and continue cooking until the vegetables are soft and tender, 30-45 minutes. Add the water, making it as thick or thin as you like. Season with more salt and ground black pepper to taste, if needed.
- Add the chicken to the soup at the end, just enough time to heat it through. You can omit the chicken and make it vegetarian too by using vegetable broth.
Serving Shchi, Leftovers, How to Reheat
Garnish the soup with fresh herbs and sour cream when serving. Shchi is amazing with some Black Bread.
Shchi is excellent as a leftover, so I always make a big batch. You can easily halve the recipe. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
Shchi - Russian Cabbage Soup
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Soup
Ingredients
8 cups chicken broth
2 cups water, more or less depending on how thick you want the soup
1 Tablespoon butter or oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
½ cup dry mushrooms, porcini
3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups sauerkraut
1 cup fresh cabbage, finely chopped or shredded
1 cup cooked chicken, cut or shredded into bite sized pieces
salt, ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon each, fresh dill and green onions, finely chopped, for garnishing
sour cream, for garnishing
Instructions
- If you have Chicken Broth, use it. If not, place a few chicken drumsticks (or any other chicken pieces - chicken wings, chicken breast, chicken thighs) in a large pot with some whole black peppercorns, a few dry bay leaves, fill with water and cook for 35-45 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve lined with a paper towel or a paper towel. Take the chicken meat off the bone, cut or shred into bite sized pieces, set aside to be add to the soup at the end.
- Heat the butter or oil in a large pot or dutch oven and add the chopped onion and grated carrots. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Sauté the vegetables on medium heat for about 5 minutes until they are tender.
- Meanwhile, rehydrate the dry mushrooms by pouring boiling water over them and setting aside until they get soft. Wash them really well, add the mushrooms to the soup pot. Strain the mushroom liquid through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or paper towel and add it to the soup along with the chicken broth. Bring the soup to a boil, season with salt, if it needs it. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prep the rest of the vegetables - peel and chop the potatoes, shred the cabbage and chop the fresh herbs.
- Add the potatoes, cabbage and sauerkraut to the broth. Add them to the soup and add water to the soup to make it the consistently that you like. Cook the soup at a simmer, covered, until the potatoes and cabbage are tender, another 30 - 45 minutes.
- Add the cooked chicken to the soup at the very end, giving it just enough time to heat through.
- When the soup is cooked, garnish with fresh herbs and serve with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl.
This recipe was first published on September 28, 2012. I updated the photos and clarified and updated the instructions to make it even better. This soup is a family favorite that we've been enjoying for generations. I hope you enjoy it too.
Hi Olga, I had this soup tonight and it was truly wonderful... ! I also have the Rassoulnik a lot as well. I'm from the UK but LOVE eastern european food. My friends think my taste buds are weird. But I like to think I'm more refined ! I made the veggie version as I'm a vegan and happily I managed to find soya based sour cream which really finishes it off perfectly 😃 Thank You, I'm working my way through all your recipes XxX
I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed it, Gloria. It's on my menu for this week too:). European taste buds can be interesting, lol. My sister and her family are vegan, so I have some practice converting recipes to vegan. I LOVE the vegan sour cream from Whole Foods.
OMG, I give this 11/10 stars!! I made this and followed your recipe exactly except that I used homemade Russian sauerkraut instead of canned. EVERYONE loved it even my boyfriend and his mother who think that Eastern Euro food is "too weird" for their American tastes. My Russian father made very good cabbage soup but this perfection..(Sorry dad!) It is my new all time favorite soup..(sorry potato leek soup). Thank you for this simple but excellent soup, Olga. 😀
Olga, this shchi seems wonderful, but compared with other recipes it has less cabbage (1 cup). Would it still work with, say, 3 or 4 cups of shredded cabbage? Or is that a "no-no" for this type of soup?
Thank you,
mlb
I see that you have "1 cup cooked chicken, cut or shredded into bite sized pieces" in the list of ingredients but I don't see them being used anywhere. When. where and how are you using them in this recipe?
You need to add it to the soup at the end of cooking, just long enough to reheat. I'm sorry I wasn't more clear in the instructions.
Hi! You mention butter, but don't specify an amount.
I'm sorry about that, J. I updated the recipe; you will need about 1 Tablespoon butter or oil.
I studied abroad in St. Petersburg some years ago and found myself missing my hostess's shchi. This was just as good if not better than what I remembered from one of my favorite dinners while I was in Russia. Thank you for sharing this.
What a wonderful experience, Hannah. I'm so glad you enjoyed this soup.
Olga, You didnt add the dried mushrooms to your ingredient list. how much do you use?
thx!
Sorry, Olga!
I'll fix it. I usually put in about 1/4 -1/3 cup of dried mushrooms. It's really up to you and how much you want to use. I like a lot of mushrooms, so I put in quite a bit.
If you strain the liquid from the mushrooms, why do you put it back in?
That's a great question, Debbie. Dry mushrooms tend to have a lot of grit on them. I wash them really thoroughly before I add them to the soup.If you don't wash the mushrooms and then strain the liquid the soup will be very gritty. The liquid in which the mushrooms steep is very flavorful so I add it back to the soup. It's optional though, you can discard the porcini liquid, but I think it gives a really rich, savory taste to the soup.
Can you use fresh mushrooms or its going to be a different taste?
Oksana, If you use fresh mushrooms, the taste will be completely different. If you don't want to use dry mushrooms, you can just omit them completely.
Hi Olga,
I just wanted to stop by and say how much I enjoy reading your blog. Great job! I'm from Eastern Europe and our cuisines are so much alike. Thank you so much!
P.S. I'll make the soup tonight 🙂 with sour cream of course! I can eat sour cream with almost everything.
Hi Adi,
I'm so glad you stopped by:). Hope you'll be able to enjoy more recipes.
This looks delicious 🙂
Erin - ekcantcook.blogspot.com
A dried mushroom mix is sold at Costco as well.
They sell them online?! Wonderful! I was trying to think who is going to Russia next so I can order them! lol. Nice to know 🙂
Where do you get dry mushrooms? I haven seen them in USA?
Dry mushrooms are sold in most grocery stores, usually next to the herbs and fresh mushrooms. I buy mine in bulk online - http://nuts.com/cookingbaking/mushrooms/porcini-mushrooms.html.
I have never tried this dish. It's not something I would normally eat but my taste buds have drastically changed (aged? matured?) over the years and I find myself longing to try a cabbage soup. And with mushrooms in it? Sold.