Uzbek Shurpa (Lamb Soup)

About This Recipe

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.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 800 gbone-in lamb (shoulder or ribs)
• 3 mediumonions, whole
• 3 mediumcarrots, halved
• 3 mediumtomatoes, halved
• 4 mediumpotatoes, halved
• 1 mediumbell pepper, halved
• 1 tspcumin seeds
• 1 tspcoriander
• 2 piecesbay leaves
• 1 tspsalt
• 1/4 tspblack pepper
• 2 literswater
• fresh cilantro and dillto garnish

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the broth

   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.

2. 2

   Simmer the lamb

   Cook covered for 60 minutes until lamb is becoming tender.

3. 3

   Add vegetables

   Add carrots, tomatoes, and bell pepper. Simmer 20 more minutes.

4. 4

   Add potatoes

   Add potatoes. Cook another 20 minutes until all vegetables are very tender.

5. 5

   Serve

   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).

Variations

• •

  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.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days. The broth gets richer each day.

Frequently Asked Questions