Cabbage Soup (Shchi)

Ingredients

• 3 tbspunsalted butter
• 1onion, large
• 1cabbage, medium, shredded
• 1carrots
• 1celery, stalk
• 1 leafbay leaf
• 8 cupsvegetable stock
• 2potatoes, large
• 2tomatoes, large; or substitute with undrained canned tomatoes
• 5 1/4 ozsour cream, to serve
• dill, fresh, to serve

Method

1. 1

   Melt the butter in a heavy pot over medium heat and add the onion. Cook it until it turns translucent and smells sweet rather than sharp.

2. 2

   Add the cabbage, carrot and celery, stirring often. Three minutes is enough to take the raw edge off them.

3. 3

   Pour in the stock, drop in the bay leaf and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and leave it until the vegetables give under a spoon but still hold shape.

4. 4

   Add the potatoes and bring the pot back up to a boil. Cover and simmer again until a knife slides into a chunk cleanly.

5. 5

   Stir in the tomatoes, return to a boil, then simmer uncovered for five minutes. Season and taste properly — shchi needs more salt than it first seems.

6. 6

   Fish out the bay leaf and throw it away. Ladle into bowls and finish each with sour cream and torn dill.