Are the walnuts and rice essential?

Classic kharcho has both, though Wikipedia notes the walnuts are not compulsory. The Mingrelian version is a stew over ghomi (no rice). At home, the soup with rice and walnuts is easiest.

The classic is fatty beef (the Georgian name means cow's-meat kharcho). Lamb, and even chicken or goose, also appear; the principle is the same, a rich broth and a sour note.

Moderately spicy: chili, garlic, and khmeli suneli give warmth but do not burn like adjika. Adjust the chili to taste.

Why add the garlic at the end?

Cooked garlic loses its bite and aroma. In kharcho it is stirred into the soup once it is off the heat, which is what gives that fresh, sharp note.

Georgia · Soups · Gluten-free

Kharcho

Name: Kharcho
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 600 g beef; 2500 ml water; 100 g rice; 100 g walnuts; 150 g onion; 4 cloves garlic; 3 tbsp tkemali sauce; 1 tbsp khmeli suneli; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp blue fenugreek; 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes; 2 whole bay leaf; 4 tbsp fresh cilantro; 2 tsp salt; 2 tbsp vegetable oil

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 Jump to recipe

Recipes by emailSubscribe →

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
0.5 tspred pepper flakes
2 wholebay leaf
4 tbspfresh cilantro
2 tspsalt
2 tbspvegetable oil

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 2 tbsp of 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).