Kharcho Soup

Spicy, rich and hearty, Kharcho is a popular dish of Georgian cuisine. Even in Georgia, there are many variations of how it is prepared. What always remains essential is the addition of the tangy tkemali sauce. In this version, I used red tkemali 

Ingredients

For the broth

• 2 L boiling water

• 500 g beef (preferably with a little fat)

• 1 onion, halved

• 1 whole carrot

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tsp salt

• pepper to taste

For the soup

• 1 small sweet pepper

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 3 tbsp tkemali sauce

• 1 tbsp khmeli-suneli

• 1/2 tsp red pepper

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1/2 cup finely ground walnuts

• 100 g rice

• cilantro

Steps

Broth

1. Prepare beef broth with beef, onion, carrot, salt, pepper and bay leaves

2. Pour in boiling water and cook until the meat is ready

3. In a pressure cooker, this takes about 30 minutes, in a pot about 2 hours

4. Remove the meat from the broth and cut into cubes

5. Strain the broth and return the meat to it

Soup

6. Dice the onion and sweet pepper

7. Sauté the onion in vegetable oil until translucent

8. Add the pepper and cook until the onion turns golden

9. Add tomato paste, tkemali, khmeli-suneli, red pepper, garlic and walnuts

10. Add a few spoonfuls of broth and simmer for a couple of minutes

11. If using a pressure cooker, add the sauté mixture and rice to the broth and cook for 3 more minutes

12. If cooking in a pot, add rice and simmer for 15 minutes

13. Then add the sauté mixture and cook for another 5 minutes

Garnish with fresh cilantro