Page 84 - All About History - Issue 56-17

How to make… Did

SHCHI you know?

Ivan the Terrible, tsar of
Russia from 1547 to 1584,
supposedly once poured
a bowlful of hot shchi
TRADITIONAL CABBAGE SOUP RUSSIA, 9TH CENTURY on a boyar’s head in
a it of rage
hchi is a traditional cabbage soup,
often served as starter, and endures
as one of Russia’s most-loved
Sdishes. Part of the reason shchi
became so popular is that cabbages
are a hardy crop that can grow strong
in Russia’s short summer seasons and
survive cold temperatures. However, it’s
likely that, even before cabbage arrived
in Russia from the Byzantine Empire, the
broth was a popular staple, made with a
similarly rugged vegetable like turnips.
As time went on, shchi was made over
a pechka, a brick stove first introduced
in the 15th century, which would take up
about a quarter of a peasant’s home and
doubled as both a place to cook and a
source of heat.
When making shchi, either fresh
cabbage or Russian pickled cabbage,
known as kislaya kapusta, can be
used depending on the variety of
shchi. Pickling was an excellent way of
preserving crops throughout winter in
Old Russia, and adds a salty, savoury
flavour to the broth.

Ingredients
l 1.5 litres stock (meat or vegetable)
l 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
l 1 white onion
l 2 carrots
l 2 celery stalks
l 1 potato
l 1/4 head of large fresh cabbage
l 1 large tomato
l Peppercorns, fresh dill, bay leaves, salt
and pepper to season
l 1 tbs of unsalted butter
l Sour cream and rye bread to serve

METHOD

01 Begin your shchi by peeling and dicing the onion, 05 Now you can add your shredded chicken and research on Russian cuisine and test out some
carrots, celery stalks, potato and tomato as well the butter to the soup. Let it simmer for a exquisite variations!
coring and shredding the cabbage. further five minutes. 08 For a really tasty treat, you can make sutochnye
02 In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil 06 For a different twist, you can use an equal shchi, or one-day shchi. To do this, just leave

— you can use any type of stock here! amount of sauerkraut instead of fresh cabbage, the soup in the fridge — the flavour is greatly

03 Add the diced and shredded vegetables to the and then mushrooms instead of tomatoes! enhanced and there are some stories that claim
stock and let it boil for a few minutes. 07 Get creative with your shchi. There is a huge this is a remarkable hangover cure.

04 Add in the herbs to your bubbling shchi, then array of additions that can be added to this soup. 09 Serve your shchi will a dollop of sour cream
simmer for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes and Some recipes add boiled eggs and shchi can also and some rye bread and enjoy the traditional
cabbage are tender. be made with a wide range of meats. Do some taste of Russia!

84 Did you make it? How did it go? www.historyanswers.co.uk /AllAboutHistory @AboutHistoryMag