Fresh Cabbage Shchi (Classic Recipe)

Prepare the necessary ingredients.

Wash the meat, cover it with cold water in a pot. Place the pot on the stove, bring the water to a boil, and skim off the foam.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid. Cook the broth until the pork is tender (about an hour). The cooked meat can then be removed, cut into pieces, and added back to the soup.

While the meat is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Peel the carrot, grate it on a coarse grater. Peel the onion and dice it finely.

Heat a frying pan, add vegetable oil. Place the onion and carrot in the hot oil. Sauté the vegetables over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

Add tomato paste. (If using fresh tomatoes, chop or grate them and add to the carrots and onions.)

Stir and cook the vegetables for another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Slice the cabbage into squares or julienne strips.

Peel the potatoes, cut them into small cubes (or arbitrary pieces).

Add the cabbage and potatoes to the broth and bring to a boil. (Add mature cabbage along with potatoes; young cabbage should be added about 7 minutes before the end of cooking.)

Add the sautéed vegetables (zazharka/passerovka) to the soup. Simmer the fresh cabbage shchi gently for 15-20 minutes.

Finely chop the herbs.

Peel and crush the garlic with salt (if using).

At the end of cooking, add ground pepper, bay leaf, and, if desired, the crushed garlic with salt.

Add the herbs and remove the pot from the heat. Let the soup steep for 10-15 minutes.

Serve the shchi with sour cream. Enjoy your meal!