Central Asia's great lamb and vegetable soup — rich, aromatic, and deeply nourishing.
Shurpa is Uzbekistan's foundational soup — a clear, golden, deeply flavored lamb broth with whole vegetables and generous lamb pieces. It's the dish that defines Uzbek hospitality, always offered to guests and eaten at the start of every celebration. Made in large batches over wood fire in the Fergana Valley, its simple ingredients — lamb, onion, carrot, tomato, potato — transform through long simmering into something transcendent.
Serves 6
Place lamb in a large pot with water. Bring to a boil. Skim foam thoroughly. Add whole onions, bay leaves, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Reduce to a simmer.
Cook covered for 60 minutes until lamb is becoming tender.
Add carrots, tomatoes, and bell pepper. Simmer 20 more minutes.
Add potatoes. Cook another 20 minutes until all vegetables are very tender.
Ladle into deep bowls. Ensure each serving has a piece of lamb and various vegetables. Garnish generously with fresh cilantro and dill. Serve with non (flatbread).
Keep vegetables whole — they look beautiful and cook more evenly.
The longer it simmers, the more flavorful the broth.
Skim the foam diligently at the start for a clear, beautiful broth.
Taste and adjust salt at the very end — flavors concentrate as liquids reduce, and a final pinch of flaky salt sharpens the whole dish.
Add chickpeas for extra protein
Use beef instead of lamb
Make qazan shurpa (cauldron shurpa) with fried vegetables for extra richness
Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.
Refrigerate up to 4 days. The broth gets richer each day.
Shurpa is one of the oldest documented soups of Central Asia, appearing in manuscripts dating to the 9th century. It is the mother dish of Uzbek cuisine — the dish from which all other Uzbek cooking draws its fundamental technique of slow-simmered lamb.
Whole vegetables give the broth more flavor and look beautiful in the bowl — it's an aesthetic and culinary tradition.
Yes — mutton gives an even richer, more flavorful broth and is traditional in Uzbekistan where mature sheep are common.
Yes — most of the components can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated separately. Reheat gently and assemble just before serving so textures stay distinct.
Stay close to the role each ingredient plays: swap aromatics for similar ones (shallot for onion, lime for lemon), and keep the fat-acid-salt balance intact. Spice blends can usually be approximated with what's in the cupboard.
Per serving · 6 servings total
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