A Cabbage Soup That Actually Tastes So Good!

Russian beef and cabbage soup (shchi) in a white bowl with sour cream and dill.

Growing up in Russia, I ate shchi countless times throughout my childhood. My mom, who is a professional chef, taught me how to make this soup when I was little. This isn’t just a recipe I researched, it’s a soup I’ve been making my entire life!

Table of Contents

What is Shchi?

Shchi (pronounced “shee”) is one of Russia’s most beloved and iconic soups, dating back to the 9th-11th century. It’s a hearty, warming soup built on a rich beef broth with tender cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, finished with fresh dill weed and traditionally served with a dollop of sour cream.

The flavor in my recipe are rich, savory and slightly sweet, with layers of complexity that come from caramelizing the vegetables and simmering everything together until the flavors meld beautifully. There are SO many different shchi soup variations, this one using fresh cabbage is by far my favorite.

The Difference Between Shchi and Borscht

If you’re familiar with Russian food, you might be wondering how shchi differs from borscht. Both are Eastern European soups (one is Ukrainian and one is Russian) made with beef and cabbage, but borscht is beet-based and has that distinctive deep red color. Shchi is cabbage-forward with a lighter, golden-brown broth. Think of them as cousins, both delicious, both traditional, but each with their own personality.

labeled ingredients to make healthy and hearty beef and cabbage soup beef broth.

Key Ingredient Notes

Beef bones & stew meat – This combination is essential! Bones add gelatin and body, while the meat adds flavor and gives you tender beef in the soup. If you can find marrow bones, great, more flavor in the broth. Otherwise, use beef bones you can find at the grocery store.
Whole spices – Whole peppercorns and coriander seeds keep the broth clear and give it a cleaner, more refined flavor. They’ll be strained out later.
Green cabbage – One medium head (about 2 lbs.) is ideal. Slice it thinly so it cooks evenly and more pleasant to eat than large chunks.
Idaho potatoes – These starchy potatoes hold their shape well but also cook very tender.
Tomato paste – make sure to use tomato paste, not tomato sauce, for the rich and concentrated tomato flavor.
Fresh dill – Essential for authentic flavor. Remember that fresh herbs are best to stir at the very end of cooking. If needed, substitute fresh parsley.
Sugar – Just 1 teaspoon helps balance the acidity and enhances the natural sweetness of the vegetables.

labeled ingredients to make the hearty and healthy cabbage soup with beef.

How To Make Shchi – Cabbage Soup: Visual Guide

Making the Beef Broth (2-4 hours)

The key to incredible shchi is starting with homemade beef broth. Yes, it takes time, but most of that is hands-off simmering time.

searing large beef bones and beef stew meat in the pot for the soup.

Step 1: In a large pot, sear the beef bones until deeply golden brown on all sides. This caramelization is where so much of your flavor comes from. Then sear the meat until golden.

searing quartered onions and carrots, and garlic for the beef broth.

Step 2: Sear your onions and carrots until golden-brown, add smashed garlic for just a few seconds until fragrant.

vegetables, beef, been bones, and seasoning all combined with water in a soup pot.

Step 3: Add the meat back in the pot along with whole spices, bay leaves, and water. Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. The broth should barely simmer, uncovered, with just occasional bubbles for 2-4 hours. This gentle cooking extracts all the flavor without making the broth cloudy and reduced it for a more concentrated flavor.

Step 4: Double Strain! This is crucial! Beef broth can be grainy, so strain it through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a vegetable mesh bag. You’ll end up with a crystal-clear, deeply flavored broth.

Step 5: Save the tender pieces of beef from the broth (and if any left on the bones) to add back into the soup later. Discard the bones, spent vegetables, and spices.

Making the Cabbage Soup (45 minutes)

Once you have your beautiful beef broth, the soup comes together quickly.

sautéing onions and carrots until golden brown in a pot.

Step 1: Sauté the onions and carrots in oil until golden-grown, make sure not to stir too much to give it change to caramelize. Add garlic for just 30-45 seconds until fragrant.

searing the finely sliced cabbage with onions and carrots in a pot.

Step 2: Move the vegetables to the sides and add the cabbage. Let it sauté undisturbed for a few minutes until it starts to golden on the bottom, then mix and repeat. This caramelization is what gives shchi its slightly sweet, complex flavor.

cabbage and vegetables mixed with tomato paste in a pot.

Step 3: Mix tomato paste thoroughly into the vegetables. This step helps prevent clumps and ensures even distribution.

cubed potatoes and cooked tender beef added to the pot with cabbage and vegetables.

Step 4: Add the potatoes and cooked beef pieces. Break up the tender cooked beef pieces for the best texture in soup.

adding clear beef broth to the pot with beef, cabbage, and vegetables.

Step 5: Add your beautiful homemade beef broth. Season with salt, pepper, and that teaspoon of sugar. Taste!! Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

adding fresh minced dill weed to the cooked soup with finish it off.

Step 6: Turn off the heat and stir in fresh minced dill. The residual heat will release its oils and perfume the entire soup.

Lyuba’s Expert Tips

Make the broth ahead: The homemade beef broth is what elevates this soup from good to incredible but since it takes time, make it ahead! Make the broth a day ahead, cool it, and refrigerate it.
Want to manage the fat? Cold homemade stock makes it easy to skim off any fat that solidifies on top.
Don’t overcook the vegetables: They’ll become mushy if you overdo it. You want tender vegetables with a slight bite, not falling-apart mush. The potatoes should be fork-tender but still hold their shape, and the cabbage should be wilted but not disintegrating.
Double strain for clarity: Beef broth can have fine particles that make it cloudy or grainy. Double straining through cheesecloth gives you a crystal-clear, smooth broth that looks as beautiful as it tastes.
Let the flavors develop: Like many soups and stews, the flavors continue to develop and meld as the soup sits. Many families make it a day ahead specifically for this reason. The soup truly does taste better the next day!

scooping gout some hearty cabbage soup from the pot with a ladle.

Make-Ahead and Storage

One of the best things about shchi is that it tastes even better the next day. The flavors have time to meld and deepen:

Make the beef broth ahead of time, strain, and store in the glass jar, in the refrigerator for 1-2 days at the most. Freeze if you need to store it longer (use freezer container or bags).
Refrigerator: Store cooked and cooled soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Make sure to use a clean ladle each time you take some out to extant the shelf life.
Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, until heated through. You can also microwave individual portions in 45 second increments, stirring in between.
Freezer: while yes, technically you can freeze Shchi cabbage soup, I personally don’t like the texture once thawed. Potatoes and cabbage change texture once thawed and frozen. If you don’t mind it, feel free to freeze the soup for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, then freeze in portions. Thaw in the refrigerator for up to 24 horus.

Russian beef and cabbage soup (shchi) in a bowl with a dollop of sour cream and dill.

Recipe FAQs

How do you pronounce shchi?

It’s pronounced like “shee” with a soft “sh” sound. The Cyrillic letters “щи” are challenging to transliterate, but “shchi” or “shchee” are the most common spellings in English. “Ch” sound is not pronounced.

Can I use store-bought broth?

Yes, but the flavor won’t be as rich and deep. If you’re short on time, use high-quality beef bone broth and sear beef first, before veggies. Note that beef will need to be cooked for a long time to be tender or you can omit the beef.

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

Absolutely! Make the broth in your slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours, strain it, then sauté the vegetables on the stovetop before adding everything to the slow cooker for another 2-3 hours on low.

What if I don’t have (or don’t like) dill weed?

Fresh dill is traditional and highly recommended, but fresh parsley can be a good substitute. You can use dried dill weed if needed just use slightly less since dried herbs are more potent.

Can I add other vegetables?

Turnips or parsnips are actually traditional additions. Some recipes include fresh or canned tomatoes as well as mushrooms or peas.

Can I use chicken instead of beef?

Sure, go for it. Follow the same process and use bone in meat preferably. There will be flavor difference but both are delicious.

spooning out some hearty cabbage soup from a bowl with a black soup.

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More Comforting Soup Recipes

Borscht (Ukrainian Beet Soup) – similar flavors but beet forward. A childhood favorite!
Beef Stew – another hearty beef-based dish I grew up eating.
Chicken Noodle Soup – I grew up eating and cooking this soup since I was 12. It was another regular at home.
Creamy Mushroom Soup
Chicken and Rice Soup
Beef and Vegetable Soup
Split Pea Soup

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All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Beef and Cabbage Soup (Shchi)