Kharcho Soup

Kharcho Soup

Kharcho soup is a famous dish of Caucasian culinary specialists. In Central Asia you can get a variation of Kharcho, an originally Georgian soup, in every restaurant, but adopted by everyone and everything during the Soviet era. Due to the richness of the ingredients, the combination of spices and spiciness, it is considered a symbol of health and youth. This soup is really delicious!

Ingredients for Kharcho soup:

Serves 4 - 6 - 1½ lb - 675g beef stew meat) - 4½ cups - 1l beef stock or water with beef bouillon cubes - 2 tsp olive oil , divided - 1 medium onion, chopped - 2 celery ribs, finely chopped - 1 can 14 oz - 400g can diced tomatoes - 2 dry bay leaves - 1 tsp ground coriander seeds - 1 tsp sweet paprika powder - 2 garlic cloves, pressed - 2 oz - 50g cup uncooked white rice - 1 tsp fresh lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon) - ¼ cup fresh pahopped, plus more to serve - Salt & Black Pepper

- ¼ cip parsley, chopped, plus more to serve - ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped, plus more to serve - Salt and Black Pepper

How to make Kharcho Soup:

Sprinkle meat with 1 tsp salt and stir. Heat up the oil or lard in a pot and saute the beef cubes till they turn white and get a bit of brownish colour as well. Work in batches so as not to crowd the beef cubes, or they will steam instead of sauté. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, if necessary. Add chopped onion and celery with more oil as needed. Saute 5 minutes until softened. Add canned tomatoes with their juice, 4 cups beef stock or water with beef bouillon cubes and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1½ to 2 hours or until beef is tender. Add the white rice, 1 tsp lemon juice, 2 pressed garlic cloves, 1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp paprika powder. Cover and simmer until rice is tender. Remove from heat and add ¼ cup parsley and ¼ cup dill. Cover and let sit off heat for 10 minutes before serving. Season with pepper and salt. Enjoy!