Kharcho (Georgian-Russian Spiced Beef and Rice Soup)

About This Recipe

Kharcho crossed into Russian home cooking from Georgia and became a staple soup found on Russian restaurant menus and in home kitchens alike. Beef is simmered long and slow until it falls apart, and the broth gets its distinctive sour note from tklapi, a dried sour plum leather, or in home versions abroad, a splash of pomegranate molasses or lemon juice. Ground walnuts stirred into the broth toward the end thicken it slightly and add richness, while a generous hit of garlic and cilantro at the finish keeps the whole pot vivid and fresh rather than heavy. Rice cooked directly in the broth, rather than separately, lets it soak up the sour-savory flavor completely. The balance of sour, garlicky and savory in one bowl is what makes kharcho distinct from a typical beef and rice soup, and it's warming, substantial fare for a cold day.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.5 lbbeef short ribs or chuck(cut into chunks)
• 8 cupswater or beef stock
• 1yellow onion(diced)
• 3 tbsptomato paste
• 0.5 cupwalnuts(ground)
• 0.5 cupwhite rice
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 3 tbsppomegranate molasses or lemon juice
• 1 tspground coriander
• 0.5 tspdried fenugreek(optional)
• 2 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 0.5 cupcilantro(chopped, for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Simmer the beef

   Cover the beef with water in a large pot, bring to a boil, skim the foam, and simmer covered for 60 minutes until tender.

2. 2

   Build the base

   In a skillet, cook onion in a splash of oil for 7-8 minutes, then stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.

3. 3

   Combine

   Add the onion-tomato mixture to the beef pot along with coriander and fenugreek if using.

4. 4

   Add rice

   Stir in the rice and simmer 15-18 minutes until tender.

5. 5

   Add walnuts and garlic

   Stir in ground walnuts and garlic and simmer 5 more minutes.

   Add the garlic near the end rather than at the start — it stays punchy and fresh instead of mellowing into the background.

6. 6

   Sour it

   Stir in pomegranate molasses or lemon juice, tasting and adjusting until the soup has a clear sour edge alongside the savory broth.

7. 7

   Serve

   Ladle into bowls and scatter with fresh cilantro.

Variations

• •

  Use lamb instead of beef for a more traditional Georgian version.

• •

  Add a dried sour plum (tklapi) if you can find it, simmered whole and removed before serving, for the most authentic sour note.

• •

  Make it spicier with a pinch of ground red pepper or a fresh chile added with the onions.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days; the rice will continue to absorb liquid, so thin with extra stock when reheating. Freezes reasonably well up to 2 months, though the rice texture softens further.

Frequently Asked Questions