Step 1 of 6
Cabbage Soup (Shchi)
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.
Step 2
Add the cabbage, carrot and celery, stirring often. Three minutes is enough to take the raw edge off them.
Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 6
Fish out the bay leaf and throw it away. Ladle into bowls and finish each with sour cream and torn dill.