Cabbage soup
Type | Soup |
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Serving temperature | hot |
Main ingredients | Stock (fish, mushroom, or pork fat), vegetables (sauerkraut/white cabbage) |
Variations | Shchi |
Cookbook: Cabbage soup Media: Cabbage soup |
Cabbage soup is a filling vegetable soup of sauerkraut and/or white cabbage(s).
Types
There are different types of cabbage soup, prepared with different ingredients. Vegetarian cabbage soup uses mushroom stock and there is another variety using a fish stock. Traditional cabbage soup is prepared using a pork stock.
In national cuisines
Cabbage soup is most popular in Polish, Slovak and Ukrainian cuisine. It is known as kapuśniak in Polish, kapustnica in Slovak and капусняк (kapusnyak) in Ukrainian. It is also found in Czech (Czech: zelňačka or zelná polévka), German (German: Kohlsuppe or Krautsuppe) and French (French: soupe aux choux) cuisine.
A variety of the soup called shchi (Russian: щи) is a national dish of Russia. Unlike the kapusniak, which must contain sauerkraut, shchi may use fresh cabbage, savoy cabbage, dock, spinach or nettle instead.
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Polish kapuśniak
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Slovak kapustnica
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Ukrainian kapusnyak
Traditional kapuśniak preparation
Drained and chopped sauerkraut is cooked in water with chopped pork, pieces of kiełbasa and a bit of salt until the meat is almost tender. Instead of meat, a ready broth is also used. Afterwards, diced potatoes and carrots are added and boiled until they are cooked. Tomato paste and spices may be added. In some regions the soup is served with added flour and butter. A lean kapusniak is cooked with roots and fungi.
Kapuśniak is served hot, in some regions with sour cream and sprinkled with chopped parsley and dill.
Traditions
In Ukraine kapusnyak is served at weddings, wakes and funerals as a main dish. In Slovakia kapustnica is served for Christmas dinner.
In film and television
Louis de Funès was the protagonist of the French film "Cabbage Soup", La Soupe aux choux.
Kapusniak was mentioned in 2 Broke Girls when the Polish character played by Jennifer Coolidge was sad after she lost her money to a grifter.
See also
Sources
- Клиновецька З. Страви й напитки на Україніі — Київ — Львів 1913 р.—С.4
- Кулинария, Государственное издательство торговой литературы — Москва 1959 г. — С.57
- Українські страви. К.:Державне видавництво технічної літератури УРСР. 1961. 454 с.