Kharcho (Georgian beef and walnut soup)
A thick, tangy Georgian beef soup with rice, ground walnuts, sour plum sauce and khmeli suneli spices, finished with lots of fresh coriander.
- 170 min20 prep · 150 cook
- MediumDifficulty
- 450 kcalper serving
Ingredients
- Beef brisket or shin700 g
- Water2.5 l
- Onions2
- garlic4 cloves
- Tomato paste2 tbsp
- Long-grain rice80 g
- Walnuts, finely ground80 g
- Tkemali (sour plum sauce)4 tbsp
- Khmeli suneli spice mix2 tsp
- Fresh red chilli1
- Butter2 tbsp
- Chopped coriander5 tbsp
- Saltto taste
Missing something? Ingredients with × can be left out.
Steps
- 1
Simmer the beef in the water with salt, skimming, until tender. Lift it out, cut it into bite-sized pieces and keep the broth.
- 2
Fry the chopped onions in the butter until soft and golden, then stir in the tomato paste for a minute.
- 3
Add the onion mixture and the rinsed rice to the broth and simmer until the rice is almost cooked.
- 4
Mix the walnuts with a ladle of broth and stir them in with the tkemali, khmeli suneli, chopped chilli and the beef.
- 5
Crush the garlic, stir it in with most of the coriander, turn off the heat and leave covered for a few minutes.
- 6
Taste for salt and sourness and serve with the rest of the coriander.
Tips and questions
- What can I use instead of tkemali?
- Tamarind paste or a few chopped sour prunes with a splash of lemon give a similar tang.
- What is khmeli suneli?
- A Georgian spice blend with blue fenugreek, coriander, marigold and dried herbs. Mix ground coriander, fenugreek and dried savory if you can’t find it.
Enjoy your meal!
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