Sorpa

About This Recipe

Sorpa is the cornerstone of Kazakh cooking — a pure, clear and deeply nourishing broth made from bone-in mutton simmered for hours with minimal additions. It is the broth in which beshbarmak is cooked and stands alone as a daily soup, poured into bowls and sipped or drunk. Sorpa is both practical (made from the byproduct of cooking meat) and ceremonial — offered to honoured guests as the first course at a feast.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.5 kgbone-in mutton or lamb(rib, shoulder or neck)
• 2 litrescold water
• 1 largeonion(quartered)
• 5black peppercorns
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 small bunchfresh dill or parsley(chopped, to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Start cold

   Place meat in a large pot, cover with cold water. Bring slowly to a boil and skim foam carefully.

2. 2

   Add aromatics

   Add onion and peppercorns. Reduce to the lowest possible simmer.

3. 3

   Long simmer

   Simmer very gently for 2–2.5 hours until meat is extremely tender and broth is golden and clear.

4. 4

   Season

   Add salt in the last 20 minutes. Taste and adjust.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve broth in bowls with fresh herbs. Meat is served separately on a platter.

Variations

• •

  Add a parsnip or two for sweetness.

• •

  Serve with kurt crumbled in for a traditional accompaniment.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate broth for up to 5 days. It sets to a gel when cold — this is a sign of good quality.

Frequently Asked Questions