Shchi; Russian Cabbage Soup

Jenny Sanders's Note:

This is a thick, vegetable-laden soup, which is a meal in itself. It is submitted in response to a request for Russian Cabbage Soup made with meatballs. I suspect it would be easy to replace the meat from the stock with plain meatballs which have been browned in a little oil then simmered in the stock. This soup has a rich sweet-sour flavour and is very satisfying. I adapted it from two recipes in a Russian cookbook published by MIR in the 1970's.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 ½ liters pork stock or 1 ½ liters beef stock (made by simmering 300g/12 oz meat)
• 3 cups sauerkraut
• 1 small parsley root
• 1 small carrot
• 1 stalk celery
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 -3 bay leaves
• pepper
• 3 cups fresh shredded cabbage

Directions:

1. Rinse the sauerkraut and drain it well.
2. Simmer the sauerkraut in the stock for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, scrape or peel the parsley root and carrot, and chop or grate them finely, as well as the celery.
4. Saute them in the butter until soft.
5. Sprinkle with the flour, and stir in the tomato paste, bay leaves, salt& pepper.
6. Cook a minute or two longer.
7. Thin with a little of the soup.
8. Add this mixture to the soup, along with the shredded cabbage and cooked meat.
9. Simmer for another 15 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.