Georgian Kharcho (Spicy Beef and Rice Soup with Walnuts)

About This Recipe

Georgian Kharcho is a real, traditional Georgian dish, known as Spicy Beef and Rice Soup with Walnuts. A hearty, tangy beef soup thickened with rice and ground walnuts, spiced with fenugreek and a sour plum sauce called tkemali.\n\nKharcho originated in western Georgia, historically made with the tart tkemali plum sauce and ground walnuts that define much of Georgian cuisine's distinctive sweet-sour-nutty flavor profile, evolving over time into the rice-thickened soup eaten today.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Georgian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 800 gbeef shank or chuck(cubed)
• 2 Lwater
• 1yellow onion(diced)
• 100 gground walnuts
• 100 grice
• 3 tbsptkemali (Georgian sour plum sauce) or tomato paste mixed with lemon juice
• 1 tspkhmeli suneli
• 0.5 tspground fenugreek
• 1 tspchili flakes
• 6garlic cloves(minced)
• 1 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 3 tbspchopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. 1

   Simmer the beef

   Combine beef, water and onion in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim foam, then simmer for 1.5 hours until the beef is tender.

2. 2

   Add rice

   Add the rice and simmer for 15 minutes until it's cooked through and beginning to thicken the soup.

3. 3

   Add walnuts and tkemali

   Stir in ground walnuts and tkemali sauce, simmering for another 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Season

   Add khmeli suneli, fenugreek, chili flakes and garlic, simmering for 5 more minutes to meld the flavors.

5. 5

   Adjust seasoning

   Season with salt, tasting and adjusting the tang with more tkemali if needed.

6. 6

   Serve

   Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with bread.

Variations

• •

  Use lamb instead of beef for a different traditional protein.

• •

  Some households add a spoonful of adjika (Georgian chili paste) for extra heat.

• •

  Adjust the rice quantity for a thinner or thicker soup depending on preference.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions