Today we have a recipe we’ve mentioned before, but now we have standalone recipe pages for recipes, so here we go. The dish of the day is shchi—which is Russian cabbage soup, which sounds terrible, and looks as bad as it sounds. But it tastes delicious, is an incredible comfort food, and is famous (in Russia, at least) for being something one can eat for many days in a row without getting sick of it.

It’s also got an amazing nutritional profile, with vitamins A, B, C, D, as well as lots of calcium, magnesium, and iron (amongst other minerals), and a healthy blend of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, plus an array of anti-inflammatory phytochemicals, and of course, water.

You will need

• 1 large white cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup red lentils
• ½ lb tomatoes, cut into eighths (as in: halve them, halve the halves, and halve the quarters)
• ½ lb mushrooms sliced (or halved, if they are baby button mushrooms)
• 1 large onion, chopped finely
• 1 tbsp rosemary, chopped finely
• 1 tbsp thyme, chopped finely
• 1 tbsp black pepper, coarse ground
• 1 tsp cumin, ground
• 1 tsp yeast extract
• 1 tsp MSG, or 2 tsp low-sodium salt
• A little parsley for garnishing
• A little fat for cooking; this one’s a tricky and personal decision. Butter is traditional, but would make this recipe impossible to cook without going over the recommended limit for saturated fat. Avocado oil is healthy, relatively neutral in taste, and has a high smoke point for caramelizing the onions. Extra virgin olive oil is also a healthy choice, but not as neutral in flavor and does have a lower smoke point. Coconut oil has far too strong a taste and a low smoke point. Seed oils are very heart-unhealthy. All in all, avocado oil is a respectable choice from all angles except tradition.

Note: with regard to the seasonings, the above is a basic starting guide; feel free to add more per your preference—however, we do not recommend adding more cumin (it’ll overpower it) or more salt (there’s enough sodium in here already).

Method

(we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

1) Cook the lentils until soft (a rice cooker is great for this, but a saucepan is fine); be generous with the water; we are making a soup, after all. Set them aside without draining.

2) Sauté the cabbage, and put it in a big stock pot or similar large pan (not yet on the heat)

3) Fry the mushrooms, and add them to the big pot (still not yet on the heat)

4) Use a stick blender to blend the lentils in the water you cooked them in, and then add to the big pot too.

5) Turn the heat on low, and if necessary, add more water to make it into a rich soup

6) Add the seasonings (rosemary, thyme, cumin, black pepper, yeast extract, MSG-or-salt) and stir well. Keep the temperature on low; you can just let it simmer now because the next step is going to take a while:

7) Caramelize the onion (keep an eye on the big pot, stirring occasionally) and set it aside

8) Fry the tomatoes quickly (we want them cooked, but just barely) and add them to the big pot

9) Serve! The caramelized onion is a garnish, so put a little on top of each bowl of shchi. Add a little parsley too.

Enjoy!

Want to learn more?

For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

• Level-Up Your Fiber Intake! (Without Difficulty Or Discomfort)
• The Magic Of Mushrooms: “The Longevity Vitamin” (That’s Not A Vitamin)
• Easily Digestible Vegetarian Protein Sources
• The Bare-Bones Truth About Osteoporosis
• Some Surprising Truths About Hunger And Satiety

Take care!