Shchi( cabbage soup)

"Shchi and kasha feed us"—this old saying shows how important these two dishes are in Russian cooking.

In former times shchi and various kinds of kasha (pud­ding-like dishes made of various cereals) were the basic diet. Shchi was often eaten with buckwheat kasha, and this is still one of the dishes on the menu at Moscow's Slavyansky Bazar restaurant.

How to make shchi:

1.)Making shchi has always been considered a great art. It is not for nothing that the proverb goes: 'A good housewife is one who makes good shchi, not one who makes nice conversation.'

2.)The basic ingredient of shchi is hard white cabbage, either fresh or as sauerkraut.

3.)For shchi made from fresh cabbage: you need several carrots, 20 grammes of pars­ley roots and one onion.

3.) Slice and saute them. Shred 600 grammes of cabbage (if the cabbage is one of the late varieties, first immerse it in boiling water for 2-3 minutes to remove the slightly bitter taste).

4.)Add the cabbage to the boiling meat, fish or mush­room stock, bring back to the boil, add the sauted vege­tables and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Diced potatoes and fresh tomatoes can be added if desired. Five to ten minutes before the shchi is cooked, season it with salt, pepper and bay leaves.

For shchi made from sauerkraut:
4.) Rinse half a kilo­gramme of sauerkraut and press out the excess liquid. Put it in a saucepan with 50 grammes of butter and enough water or stock to prevent it from burning, cover and stew fast, then gently for one and a half hours, stir­ring occasionally.

5.)Slice 80 grammes of carrots, 20 grammes of parsley roots and 100 grammes of onions, add several spoonfuls of tomato puree, and saute. Add this to the cabbage 10-15 minutes before it is cooked.

6.)Put the cabbage and other vegetables into the boil­ing stock and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add salt, pep­per and bay leaves, and simmer for another 5-10 min­utes. Garnish with sour cream and finely chopped dill, parsley and spring onions before serving.

Okroshka( cold soup with vegetables)

Nothing could he more delicious than iced okroshka( cold soup  with vegetables) on a hot summer's day. It is extremely easy to make, if you have some kvas.

Kvas can be found in almost every Russian home in the summer. This thirst-quenching drink is a favourite of children and adults alike. Kvas was made and was extremely popular in Russia even in olden times.

Nowadays housewives usually make kvas from a concentrate which they buy in the shops. You can also buy bottled kvas. You also can make kvas yourself.

How to make kvas:


1.)You need rye bread or rye rusks, yeast and sugar.
2.) To I litre of water take 40-50 grammes of rusks, 30-40 grammes of sugar and 2 grammes of yeast.
3.)Crush the rye rusks or rye bread dried in the oven, put the crumbs in an en­amelled pan, pour on boiled hot water, mix, cover and leave for 1-2 hours in a warm place, stirring from time to time.
4.)Pour off the liquid, add the sugar and yeast, dissolved in a small amount of cold boiled water, mix and leave for 10-12 hours.

5.)When the kvas begins to foam violently, strain it through cheesecloth, pour into sturdy bottles contain­ing 3-4 raisins, cork tightly, and after 2-3 hours at room temperature, put them in the fridge. After 2-3 days the kvas will be ready to drink.

And now you are ready to make okroshka.

How to make okroshka( cold soup  with vegetables):

1.)Take 300 grammes of cold boiled meat. 250 grammes of peeled fresh cucumbers, 2 hard-boiled eggs and chop all this finely (Incidentally, the word okmshka is de­rived from the Russian verb kroshit meaning 'to chop finely'.)

2.)Then chop 100 grammes of spring onions finely and mix them with a small amount of salt, until the juice runs.

3.)Add these onions, chopped eggs, mustard, sugar and salt to taste to 150 grammes of sour cream, mix well and dilute with 1.5 litres of kvas.

4.)Put the meat and cucumbers into this mixture, adding chopped rad­ishes as well, if desired, and stir well. The okroshka is ready.

You can use almost any kind of boiled meat for okroshka: beef, veal, tongue, lean lamb, or game. The proportions can be altered and okroshka gives a lot of scope to the inventive cook.

Okroshka should be served with ice and finely chopped spring onions.