Khash (Armenian Cow's Foot Soup)

About This Recipe

Khash (խաշ) is more an Armenian ritual than a recipe. Cow's feet are scrubbed, blanched, and simmered for eight to twelve hours without salt or spice until the broth turns milky, gelatinous, and quietly profound. Traditionally eaten at sunrise on cold winter mornings, the steaming bowl is set on a table crowded with crushed garlic, dried lavash, radish, fresh herbs, and ice-cold vodka — each diner builds the soup at their seat by tearing lavash into the broth, stirring in a spoon of pungent garlic, and seasoning with coarse salt. The result is restorative, collagen-rich, and entirely free of distraction; this is a dish that depends on long time and pure ingredients rather than technique. Highland villages from Lori to Syunik still serve it as a guarantor of winter health.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 2 kgcow's feet, split lengthwise by the butcher
• 500 gbeef shin (optional, for body)
• 5 Lcold water
• 1 headgarlic, finely crushed (served raw at table)
• 1 bunchfresh dill, chopped
• 4 sheetsdried lavash, broken into pieces
• 4radishes, sliced
• coarse sea salt, to taste at table
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste at table

Instructions

1. 1

   Scrub and soak

   Scrub the cow's feet hard with a stiff brush under cold running water. Place in a large pot, cover with cold water, and soak overnight in the refrigerator, changing the water twice. This removes blood and any barn smell.

2. 2

   Blanch

   Drain. Cover with fresh cold water, bring to a hard boil for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse the feet under cold water. Wash the pot.

3. 3

   Long simmer

   Return feet (and beef shin if using) to the clean pot. Cover with 5 L cold water. Bring barely to a simmer — never a rolling boil — and skim foam for the first hour.

4. 4

   Tend the pot

   Maintain the gentlest possible simmer for 8–10 hours. Top up with hot water only if the meat threatens to surface. Do not add salt, onion, or spice — khash is intentionally austere.

   An overnight low oven (95°C, covered) works beautifully and avoids stovetop watching.

5. 5

   Test for readiness

   The broth should look milky white and the meat should slip cleanly off the bones. Strain through a colander, reserving liquid and meat separately.

6. 6

   Reduce if needed

   Return broth to the pot and reduce by a quarter if it tastes thin. Shred meat coarsely, return to broth, and bring to a gentle simmer.

7. 7

   Lay the table

   Set out small bowls of crushed garlic, salt, pepper, dried lavash, radish, and dill. Pour the soup boiling-hot into deep bowls — temperature is the point.

8. 8

   Build at the seat

   Each diner tears lavash into the bowl, stirs in a spoon of garlic, salts to taste, and tops with dill. Sip alongside chilled vodka or tan (salted yogurt drink).

Variations

• •

  Georgian khashi adds milk and corn flour at the end for thicker body.

• •

  Some Armenian regions add a small piece of tripe alongside the feet.

• •

  Modern Yerevan restaurants serve khash powder packets for the garlic-salt mix.

Storage

Refrigerate broth and meat separately up to 3 days. The gelled broth reheats beautifully — bring just to a simmer; never boil hard or the texture splits.

Frequently Asked Questions