Cabbage soup with sauerkraut and canned meat
Description
The recipe won't take much time. Shchi is one of my favorite dishes; I enjoy it both with sauerkraut and fresh cabbage. However, I believe that real shchi, with their characteristic tang, are made with sour cabbage. But when there's no time to prepare a meat broth for shchi, I cook them with canned meat (tushonka). Shchi made with sauerkraut and canned meat is one of those dishes that every homemaker should have in her repertoire as a handy go-to meal. This dish cooks faster than shchi with meat, yet it's just as delicious and aromatic. I offer you a simple recipe for preparing shchi with sauerkraut and canned meat. Try making it at least once, and this recipe will stay in your collection for a long time. The soup is ready to serve.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Rinse the sauerkraut; if it's very sour, don't overdo it—some sourness is needed for the soup. Store-bought sauerkraut is usually long-cut, and if you don't like that, chop it finer.
- 2
Step 2
Then transfer the cabbage to a pot, pour in water, and add salt. Place over medium heat and let it simmer until tender, approximately 30–40 minutes.
- 3
Step 3
While the cabbage is boiling, we'll prepare the other vegetables. I chop the onion and carrots into small pieces, although the carrots can simply be grated.
- 4
Step 4
Place the pan with vegetables and vegetable oil on the stove over low heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then set aside to cool slightly.
- 5
Step 5
Meanwhile, we will peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes.
- 6
Step 6
The vegetables in the pan have cooled slightly; add the canned meat, bay leaf, and optionally some ground black pepper or other spices.
- 7
Step 7
By this time, the cabbage will have become slightly soft; add everything else—the sautéed mixture with canned meat and potatoes—and water, if needed. Cook for another 25–30 minutes, until the potatoes are done. Add finely chopped fresh herbs to the finished soup, and if you want especially delicious borscht, let it steep overnight. But if you can't wait that long :), serve it hot right away.