Comforting and nostalgic, this vegetarian Russian cabbage soup (also known as shchi or щи) is packed with veggies and makes great leftovers!
Shchi is a staple meal in Russia. It’s a great lunch or dinner, and the leftovers make a delicious breakfast, too! It’s usually made with pork or chicken, but I like to make it with just veggies. Even though the ingredients are simple, the flavor is deep and rich.
Vegetarian Russian Cabbage Soup
Cabbage. Since there are 8 people in my family, I use an entire head of white cabbage for this soup. If you don’t want to make that much, you can cut the recipe in half and it will still work just as well. I just roughly chop the cabbage, but you can shred it if you want.
Potatoes. Plain russet potatoes work perfectly for this vegetarian Russian cabbage soup! I dice them so they cook faster, but if you want you can make them 1-inch chunks. There is no need to peel the potatoes, but it’s totally ok if you want to do that.
Carrots. As with the cabbage, you can shred the carrots instead of dice them. There is no need to peel them, just wash them well.
Allium. Onions are a much for Russian cabbage soup (and pretty much any soup, in my opinion)! Getting them nice and caramelized gives the soup a wonderful flavor boost. Same for the garlic!
Liquid. A nice broth made from veggie scraps is good for shchi. If you don’t have any, water is just fine! Of course, if you don’t care about keeping it strictly a vegetarian Russian cabbage soup, then you can feel free to use chicken stock or something like that.
Optional ingredients. Diced tomatoes are the biggest optional for shchi. My husband and a few of my kids love tomatoes in there, but the rest of the kids and I aren’t fans. So I usually leave them out.
A bay leaf or two is another optional ingredient. Just add it in with the potatoes and then remove it when you serve.
If you’re on the GAPS diet or can’t handle potatoes, I have a potato-free version of shchi in my post of what to eat on the GAPS intro diet. It’s safe for stage 4 and up.
Toppings. We always use sour cream as a topping for our Russian cabbage soup. When we lived in Russia we’d sometimes use mayonnaise (it was cheaper), and that’s good too. But you can always just eat it plain! It’s still delicious.
More delicious soups.
Soup is one of my favorite meals! It’s a quick and easy way to pack nutrition into your life (and soup is so comforting, too!). Here are a few more of my favorite soups.
- cheesy chowder
- white chicken chili
- easy cheesy broccoli soup
- sage & sausage cauliflower soup
- paleo & GAPS zuppa toscana
- beef & kale soup in the Instant Pot
In the recipe card I’ve linked to some of the products from my affiliate partners that I like to use. Purchasing through these links won’t cost you anything extra. Thanks!
Vegetarian Russian Cabbage Soup
Free from grain, gluten, eggs, and sugar, with dairy-free option.
Ingredients
- 3-4 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 head garlic, minced
- 1 white cabbage, roughly chopped
- 6 carrots, diced
- 6 potatoes, diced
- 3 quarts broth or water
- 1 can organic diced tomatoes (optional)
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dill
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Roughly chop the cabbage and dice the onions, carrots, and potatoes. Mince the garlic.
Heat a skillet over medium and melt the butter/coconut oil.
When melted, saute the cabbage, carrots, onions, and garlic until cabbage is soft and starting to become translucent. You can do this in batches if it’s easier.
While the veggies are sauteing, bring the potatoes and broth to a boil in a large stock pot. (Add in tomatoes if using.)
When veggies are done sauteing, add them to the stock pot with the seasonings and cook until potatoes and carrots are tender (about 15 minutes).
Serve with sour cream or mayonnaise.
You have wonderful recipes! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoy the recipes!