Shchi in the Instant Pot – Russian Cabbage and Sauerkraut Soup
Shchi is a hearty cabbage and sauerkraut Russian soup or stew, with potatoes, onions, carrots and dry mushrooms. Making it in the Instant Pot makes the process much faster.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 1x
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon butter or oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1/3–1/2 cup dry mushrooms (any that you like, my favorite are porcini)
1 cup boiling water
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 cups shredded green cabbage
2 cups sauerkraut
salt, ground black pepper, to taste
1–2 Tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (dill, green onion, parsley)
sour cream, to garnish
Instructions
Place the dry mushrooms in a bowl and pour in 1 cup of boiling water. Set aside so that the mushrooms rehydrate.
Meanwhile, turn on the “Saute” mode on the Instant Pot. Heat butter or oil and then add the chopped onion and grated carrot. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.
While the vegetables are cooking, wash the rehydrated mushrooms, reserving the mushroom liquid, and then add them to the vegetables in the Instant Pot. Using a fine mesh sieve lined with a paper towel or a coffee filter, strain the mushroom liquid and add it to the soup. Pour in the chicken or vegetable broth. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper.
Turn on the Instant Pot to Manual mode, High Pressure and set the time for 15 minutes. Cover with the lid and make sure the valve is set to “Sealing”.
Release the pressure manually. Add the potatoes, cabbage and sauerkraut to the soup. Close the lid once again, set the valve to “Sealing” and cook for another 15 minutes. Release the pressure manually or allow it to release naturally. (If the mushrooms, cabbage and potatoes are not as tender as you like, cook a bit longer.)
Serve the soup with fresh herbs and sour cream.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to a week. (I transfer the soup out of the Instant Pot and into a storage container or a smaller pot.) Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.