Cabbage soup with flour thickener
Description
Hearty and aromatic soup. Shchi is a typical dish of the ancient Slavs. Even in those times, a flour slurry was used in shchi, which made the dish thicker, richer, and more filling. However, it distorted the authentic aroma and taste of true shchi, so over time its use became increasingly rare. Nowadays, potatoes serve the role of thickener. A flour slurry is flour diluted with water and lightly sautéed in a pan. Preparation: Cut the pork belly into large pieces. Halve the onion and char it over an open gas flame. Place beef, 1 carrot, and the onion into a large pot, add 2 liters of cold water, and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam with a skimmer. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add a bay leaf 10 minutes before the end of cooking. Turn off the heat, remove the beef, separate the meat from the bones, and cut it into cubes. Strain the broth, pour it into a clean pot, and bring to a boil. Shred the cabbage, cut the potatoes into large cubes, julienne the remaining carrot, and finely chop the onion. Halve the tomatoes. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the carrot and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until the skins begin to peel away. Peel off the skins and mash the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Add cabbage and potatoes to the boiling broth. Cook for 5–7 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the sautéed vegetables and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Mash the garlic with 1 tablespoon of salt and add it to the shchi 5 minutes before the end of cooking. Toast the flour in a dry skillet until brown, add water (or broth), and lightly sauté. Add the flour slurry to the shchi at the end of cooking. Season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs, and serve hot.