Georgia · Soups · Gluten-free
Kharcho
A rich Georgian beef soup from Mingrelia, spicy and sour. Fatty beef simmers long with rice and ground walnuts, and the signature sour note comes from tkemali (sour plum sauce) rather than tomato. Garlic and fresh cilantro are stirred in at the end.
90 min 320 kcal 6 serves Advanced🌾Gluten-free🇬🇪Georgia★★★★★4.8
Ingredients
ServingsMetric
- 600 gbeef
- 2500 mlwater
- 100 grice
- 100 gwalnuts
- 150 gonion
- 4 clovesgarlic
- 3 tbsptkemali sauce
- 1 tbspkhmeli suneli
- 1 tspground coriander
- 1 tspblue fenugreek
- ½ tspred pepper flakes
- 2 wholebay leaf
- 4 tbspfresh cilantro
- 2 tspsalt
Method
- Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces, put it in a pot with the water, bring to a boil, and skim off the froth. Simmer gently for about 1.5 hours, until the beef is tender.
- Rinse the rice and add it to the broth. Simmer 15 minutes, until almost cooked.
- Meanwhile, chop the onion and soften it in a little oil until golden. Add the ground walnuts and toast for a minute, then stir in the khmeli suneli, blue fenugreek, ground coriander, and red pepper flakes.
- Stir the onion-walnut mixture into the soup with the bay leaves. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Stir in the tkemali sauce and the salt. Taste: the broth should be savoury and clearly sour.
- Take the pot off the heat. Crush the garlic and stir it in, then remove the bay leaves.
- Cover and rest 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot with plenty of chopped fresh cilantro.
FAQ
Tkemali is a sour plum sauce; tklapi is sun-dried sour-plum leather that you soak. They are the authentic source of the sourness. Substitute pomegranate juice, or tomato paste plus red wine vinegar (less traditional).
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