S’chee lies at the very soul of Russian cuisine and like most centuries-old ethnic dishes began life as something that mostly the poor folks ate. Recipes for s’chee (also spelled schi and shchee) are basically recipes for cabbage soup, and the best pronunciation most non-Russian speakers will be able to manage for it is "chee."
S’chee Historically was a Cabbage Soup, a Sauerkraut Soup, or a Cabbage and Beef Soup.
Russian peasants in times past made s’chee with cabbage and other vegetables in the summer and then used sauerkraut instead of fresh cabbage in the winter. The poorest peasants had no meat in theirs, those a little better off might have a soup bone or some stock, and the few who were more privileged were able to add a big chunk of meat to the pot, which they would then serve separately.
Today’s S’chee Recipes Still do not Fall far From the Cabbage Patch
Through time s’chee acquired more embellishments, and the variants on the recipe are beyond number. But like echoes of the past, today’s s’chee recipes can still be composed of just a few ingredients or be a complex, ingredient-laden undertaking. But in all cases cabbage still reigns supreme, even if it’s in the form of sauerkraut.
The s’chee recipe below is among the more elaborate, but the scrumptious end result is worth the time spent making it. Be prepared for rave reviews and squabbles over who gets the last of the leftovers.
Cabbage Has Many Health Benefits to Include Cancer-Fighting Phytonutrients
Those Russian peasants of yesteryear did not realize it, but they were onto something with s’chee. Its health benefits are incredible. Low-cal, and of course low-fat, it’s also an excellent source of vitamins K and C, as well as a very good source of fiber, folate, vitamin B6, manganese and omega-3. And in relatively recent times, research seems to indicate it has cancer-fighting properties thanks to its phytonutrients (also called phytochemicals).
Tips for Making S’chee
The easiest way to make the soup is taking a leisurely approach, that is, make it a two-day process. Day one is making the stock; day two is cooking the soup vegetables and marrying the results.
Do not use the packages of shredded cabbage intended for coleslaw. Those shreds are so fine they will literally melt in the s’chee, and that will be fine for the sauerkraut in the recipe, but let the cabbage help provide substance.
A good, full-flavored beef stock is a must, and a lot of the flavor will come from caramelizing (browning) the meat and vegetables. Do not short-change this process.
The critical ingredients that set this soup apart and elevate it to culinary heights far beyond the standard beef and cabbage soup are the marrow bones and dill. Ask your butcher about marrow bones if none are available in the meat case.
S'chee
Stock ingredients:
- Vegetable oil for greasing roasting pan
- 3 pounds boneless chuck or beef shin
- 3 pounds beef marrow bones
- 1 large onion, peeled
- 2 large carrots, peeled
- 2 large parsnips, peeled
- 12 cups good quality beef broth
- 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes and their juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 1/2 tablespoons dill weed, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
Soup ingredients:
- 2 medium chopped onions
- 1 stalk chopped celery
- 1 large chopped carrot
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 1 lb good-quality sauerkraut, rinsed and well-drained
- 9+ cups green cabbage, very coarsely chopped
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- kosher or grainy sea-salt to taste
- medium coarse ground pepper to taste
Sour cream topping:
- 1/4 cup chopped dill weed
- 1 pint sour cream
Directions for stock:
- Preheat oven to 485°.
- Lightly oil a large, heavy roasting pan with vegetable oil.
- Arrange beef, marrow bones, onion, carrots, and parsnips in one layer in roasting pan and put in middle of oven. Turn contents in 10-15 minute intervals until well-browned on all sides - about 30-40 minutes.
- Transfer everything to a large soup pot, and pour about 2 cups of the broth into the roasting pan which has been set over medium-high heat, and as it starts to boil, stir hard to get up all the browned bits. Pour into soup pot.
- Add rest of broth, tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, dill weed and bay leaves. The meat and bones should be covered or just about covered. Bring to boil, and then simmer, with cover partially askew, until the meat is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Remove from heat and let stock cool to room temperature.
- Store stock in refrigerator overnight or until fat on top has solidified.
- Remove most of the solidified fat from the top of the stock, and reserve 3 or 4 tablespoons.
Directions for cooking soup vegetables and finishing soup:
- Reheat the stock on top of the stove until warm. Pour the contents into large colander placed over another soup pot or heavy casserole pan large enough to hold the soup. Transfer the colander to the top of the original stock pot. Put the drained stock on the stove over low heat and heat to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, discard the stock vegetables and spoon the marrow from the bones into the stock.
- Cut the beef into bite-size pieces and put aside.
- Heat about 2 tablespoons of the reserved fat in a large sauté pan. Add the onions and cook over low-medium heat for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not let them brown.
- Add the celery, carrots and garlic, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add more fat if mixture is getting dry. Then add the cabbage, salt (go lightly, especially is broth is salty), and pepper.
- Cover and let cook about 10 minutes or until cabbage starts to wilt. Add the sauerkraut, and continue to cook, covered, until all is tender.
- Add the cooked vegetables to stock. Add reserved beef pieces, lemon juice and sugar. Let return to boiling point and remove from heat.
- Taste for seasoning. Add more salt, pepper and/or dill as desired.
- Serve with sour cream topping (see below). A dark, crusty bread and beer are typical accompaniments.
- Serves 8-12.
Sour cream and dill topping:
- Mix dill with sour cream at least 30 minutes before using. When serving, top soup with a dollop of sour cream and dill mixture.
Other Cabbage Recipes:
Those who like comfort foods made with cabbage or sauerkraut might also like to try Bigos (Polish Hunter’s Stew), Cabbage with Noodles, and Braised German-Style Red Cabbage.
Sources:
Papashvily, Helen and George Papashvily. Foods of the World: Russian Cooking. New York: Time-Life Books, 1969.
Barbara Jezior - My career paths include Research Psychologist, Technical Writer/Editor, Food Expert, and Professional Tax Preparer.
