Kharcho Soup (Georgian Beef Soup)
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 kg beef chuck (or beef stew equivalent)
- 2 medium white onions diced
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- 5 garlic cloves minced or grated
- 3/4 cup rice
- 1 bunch cilantro chopped
- 1 bunch parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp tkemali see notes for sub
- 1 tbsp khmeli - suneli see notes for sub
- 1 tbsp salt & pepper to taste
- 1 diced chili pepper (serrano or equivalent)
- Additional cilantro, parsley and chili pepper for garnish
Instructions
- Cut beef into 1 inch cubes, trim fat if desired and season generously with salt and black pepper, brown in large stew pot for 5 - 10 minutes until lightly browned on all sides
- Add 9 cups of water to beef cubes. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer and cook on low 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
- Add diced onion, garlic, rice, tomato paste, diced tomatoes and khmeli-suneli. Cover and let cook for 20-25 minutes until rice is tender.
- Add tkemali sauce, diced chili and chopped parsley and cilantro. Cook on low for another 10-15 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy. Garnish with additional chopped cilantro, parsley and chili pepper.
Notes
SUBSTITUTES:
If you aren't in the Caucasus region, tkemali and khmeli suneli can be hard to come by - substitute with these:
Tkemali: Use white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or a generous squeeze of half a lemon in its place.
Khmeli-Suneli: make your own spice blend by grinding equal parts blue fenugreek, savory, dried dill, dried cilantro with a generous pinch of black pepper and two bay leaves. Alternatively, you can use blue fenugreek by itself.
BROWNING THE MEAT:
Traditionally, kharcho beef is boiled without being browned first. I prefer the texture of it being browned for a few minutes first. It adds a nice body to the broth and is just my preference. I also trim the fat. You can bypass both of these steps if you like fatty, soft beef! Both options are delicious.