One of the most famous and arguably most telling Russian folk sayings is “Shchi and kasha are our food” (Щи да каша — пища наша). It’s not a proverb that really has an English equivalent because its meaning is about Russian-ness. What it’s getting at is the simple essence of what it is to be Russian. Despite the importation and emulation of foreign customs or cuisines over the centuries, Russian people of all backgrounds are united by a core set of simple traditions. These include the lowly cabbage soup (shchi) and porridge (kasha).  Consuming shchi is therefore part of what it means to be Russian.

Borscht may enjoy worldwide renown as the quintessential Russian soup but shchi is a much better candidate for that designation. Shchi is relatively easy to prepare and may be made with or without meat, with or without sauerkraut. Like borscht, there are many variations and everyone has a favorite. We’ll start with a very basic version but feel free to experiment and add to it as it suits you. Many Russians call this version Lenivye shchi (ленивые щи) ‘lazy shchi‘ because you don’t have to make sauerkraut first. You could add prepared sauerkraut as I did for a “Sour shchi” and I suppose that’s still considered ‘lazy.’ More on true sour shchi later.

Shchi – Russian fresh cabbage soupRead More »