Recipe from Russia: Щи (Schi) – Veggy Soup with Sauerkraut!

Hello,

This soup is just absolutely delicious. Schi is one of the most traditional Russian soups. It is said to be dated before the adoption of Christianity in Russia. Well known for it’s sour taste mainly from sauerkraut, I have seen reference to it as beetless borscht!

Lets make some soup…

Ingredients:

• Sauerkraut – 1 kilo (some say pickled cabbage)
• 1 Turnip
• 1 Celery root (but celery stalks will do in a pinch)
• 4 medium carrots
• 1 Parsley root
• 1 Parsnip root (where available)
• 4 medium green or red pickled tomatoes
• fresh Dill to taste
• fresh parsley to taste
• laurel leaf
• fresh garlic to taste

Cooking:

Take a big soup pot and chop all the carrots, celery root, parsley root, turnip root and parsnip root into a small (quarter inch) diced size and add them to the big soup pot. Then add the Sauerkraut and chopped up pickled tomatoes. Then add two to three cups of water and let it cook on a very, very low temperature for about an hour to hour and a half, with lid off pot…

After about an hour of cooking add water to level that you like (to make a runny soup) and add dill, parsley, garlic and laurel leaf. You may add black pepper if desired but no salt. (the sauerkraut is salty enough)

Cook for another 20 to 30 minutes with a lid on pot, to set the delicious flavor.

Now it is time to eat, do not forget to add a tablespoon of sour cream to the soup in your bowl!

Yummy for your Tummy…

Notes: I see that you are saying where is the meat? That is no problem just add beef, pork or chicken at the start of the process and cut a little water out because of grease production. Or use precooked meat that has been drained of grease for a healthier soup… (meat broth may be substituted for water)

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.