Sauerkraut soup
Description
A hearty first course. The amount of ingredients is enough to cook a large 4-liter pot of delicious, rich soup. For shchi, a fatty piece of beef or veal is usually used. Serve with sour cream and fresh herbs. You can add bay leaf and whole peppercorns for spices, but be sure to remove them from the finished broth.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
1. Prepare the ingredients for the soup. Don't rush to peel the vegetables yet; first, you need to cook the broth. There's no need to squeeze the sauerkraut from the brine. On the contrary, it's good if you pour a glass of cloudy, sour brine along with the sauerkraut into the soup while cooking.
- 2
Step 2
2. Place a whole piece of meat, whole peppercorns, and a couple of bay leaves in a pot. Pour in cold water and bring the meat to a boil. Cook until the meat is tender, about 1.5 hours. The bay leaves can be discarded after 15–20 minutes, as they will have already released their aroma. Remove the peppercorns at the end of cooking.
- 3
Step 3
3. While the meat is cooking, peel the onion and carrot, chop them, and sauté in two tablespoons of vegetable oil until the vegetables are soft.
- 4
Step 4
4. Peel the potatoes and cut them into large pieces.
- 5
Step 5
5. Remove the cooked meat from the broth with a slotted spoon. Cut into pieces and return to the broth.
- 6
Step 6
6. Add potatoes and cabbage to the meat and cook for 20 minutes.
- 7
Step 7
7. Season the cabbage soup with fried vegetables and fresh herbs. The soup is ready!