SHCHI – Russian Sauerkraut soup with wild meat and porcini mushrooms.

This traditional Russian recipe, like many other recipes of Russian cuisine, may seem very strange. But believe me, Russians know a lot about winter warming soups. It just needs to be tried! This strange combination of seemingly incompatible ingredients creates the uniqueness of Russian cuisine, which is replete with nutritious and vitamin-rich dishes in the cold season. I got this unusual version of the traditional Russian soup as a result of an experiment that exceeded all expectations. I decided to add wild roe deer meat and porcini mushrooms to the classic cabbage soup recipe, which gave the dish a special tenderness and rich taste and make it a real hunting recipe. Russian sour cabbage soup, or SHCHI, that I prepared using wild roe deer meat hunted in Belarus, is a unique interpretation of this classic dish. To enhance the flavors, I added cranberries from the Nalibokskaya Pushcha, known for their vibrant taste and color, which gave the soup an extraordinary tangy note. In addition, cranberries have given this soup a Belarusian flavor. My Grandmother always adds cranberries, it’s family secret ingredient))) For an extra depth of flavor, I incorporated frozen porcini mushrooms that I personally foraged in the forests of Moscow Oblast. If you freeze porcini mushrooms whole, they do not lose their delicate taste at all. The combination of these natural ingredients created a rich, complex taste profile that goes beyond traditional shchi. The process began with creating a flavorful broth from the roe deer meat, which lent the soup its distinct game flavor. The sour cabbage, made by my Mom, served as the foundation, providing its characteristic tanginess, while the cranberries added a touch of candy aftertaste and doubled acidity. The white mushrooms brought earthy undertones, tying all the elements together. Do not forget to fry onions, meat and mushrooms for such type of Russian soups like SHCHI or BORSCH. The sugars contained in them are caramelized at high temperatures. And after, that sweet taste resists the acid of the cabbage, making the taste of the broth voluminous. And the greens! Well, the greens (onion, dill, parsley) MUST be from Caucasus, of course. Nowhere in the world I have seen such fragrant greens as those that are brought to us from our mountainous republics. This version of shchi is not only a celebration of Russian culinary traditions but also a testament to the bounty of nature found in both Belarus and Russia. Each spoonful tells a story of the forest's gifts, making it a truly memorable dish that reflects the seasons and the regions' rich natural resources. It’s a perfect example of how traditional recipes can be elevated with locally hunting ingredients.