Kharcho soup
6 servings
150 minutes
Kharcho soup is the pride of Georgian cuisine, filled with deep flavors and aromas of the Caucasus. Its history traces back to ancient Georgia, where this hearty beef rib soup was prepared as a filling dish for cold days. Kharcho is distinguished by its rich sour-spicy notes thanks to tkemali, khmeli-suneli, and walnuts. The thick texture is created by adding rice, while garlic, adjika, and cilantro complete the symphony of flavors. The soup is perfect for warming up in winter or for a hearty family dinner. It is served hot, often with lavash, complementing its spicy character with fresh herbs and spices.
1
Fill the ribs with water and boil the broth for 1.5–2 hours. Add salt to taste.
- Beef ribs: 4 pieces
- Salt: to taste
2
Remove the meat, strain the broth, bring to a boil, add rice. Adjust the amount of rice based on the pot size: the soup should be thick enough.
- Rice: 100 g
3
In a pan, sauté finely chopped onion and tomatoes, then add khmeli-suneli, chopped walnuts, and tkhemali. Combine the dressing with the soup and switch to low heat. Add bay leaf, pepper, and adjika. Before finishing cooking, return finely chopped meat to the soup along with minced garlic and a handful of cilantro.
- Onion: 1 head
- Tomatoes in their own juice: 1 jar
- Khmeli-suneli: 1 tablespoon
- Tkemali: 1 tablespoon
- Walnuts: to taste
- Bay leaf: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Adjika: to taste
- Beef ribs: 4 pieces
- Garlic: 2 cloves
- Coriander: 3 tablespoons