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Beef Soup Kharcho (pronounced harcho), is a hearty beef soup in tomato broth with a wonderful blend of spices and plenty of fresh herbs. The beef is fall-apart tender and just melts in your mouth – delicious!All it needs is a thick slice of fresh crusty bread.
This beef stew also reheats really well and I was pleasantly surprised that my 1-year old loved it! This recipe also made a soup Kharcho lover out of my husband.
Kharchois Georgian in origin but has beenadopted and well loved by Ukrainians for many years. This recipe was loosely adapted from The New Ukrainian Cookbook.
Ingredients for Beef and Tomato Soup (Kharcho):
3 lb beef stew meat
3tsp salt (I used fine sea salt)
4 Tbsp light olive oil (or any cooking oil), divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
4 cups beef broth +4 cup filtered water
28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 dry bay leaves
1tsp groundcoriander seeds
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup uncooked white rice (I used Jasmine)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (from 1 mediumlemon)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, plus more to serve
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped, plus more to serve
How to Make Beef Soup (Kharcho):
1. Sprinkle meat with 3tsp salt and stir. Heat a dutch oven or soup pot over medium/high heat and add 2 Tbsp oil. Once oil is hot, add beef in 2 batches,sautéing until browned on all sides (don’t worry about cooking it through). Remove from pot and set aside.
2. Add chopped onion and celery with more oil as needed. Saute 5 minutes until softened.
3. Add canned tomatoes with their juice, 4 cups broth, 4 cups water, 2 bay leaves and browned beef. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beef is tender.
4. Add 1/2 cup white rice, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 pressed garlic cloves, 1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp paprika. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
5. Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup parsley and 1/4 cup dillthen cover and let sit off heat another 10 minutes before serving. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed and serve with more fresh herbs as desired.
Beef Soup (Kharcho)
Beef Soup Kharcho (pronounced harcho), is a hearty beef soup in tomato broth with a wonderful blend of spices and plenty of fresh herbs.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Total Time: 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
Ingredients
Servings: 12 cups of soup
- 3 lb beef stew meat
- 3 tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp light olive oil, or any cooking oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 4 cups beef broth + 4 cup filtered water
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 dry bay leaves
- 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1/2 cup uncooked white rice, I used Jasmine
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, from 1 medium lemon
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, plus more to serve
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped, plus more to serve
Instructions
Sprinkle meat with 3 tsp salt and stir. Heat dutch oven or soup pot over medium/high heat and add 2 Tbsp oil. Once oil is hot, add beef in 2 batches, sautéing until browned on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside. Don't worry about cooking it through.
Add chopped onion and celery with more oil as needed. Saute 5 min until softened.
Add canned tomatoes with their juice, 4 cups broth, 4 cups water, 2 bay leaves and browned beef. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beef is tender.
Add 1/2 cup white rice, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 pressed garlic cloves, 1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp paprika. Cover and simmer 20 min or until rice is tender.
Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup parsley and 1/4 cup dill then cover and let sit off heat another 10 min before serving. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with more fresh herbs as desired.
Nutrition Per Serving
253kcal Calories11g Carbs27g Protein11g Fat3g Saturated Fat70mg Cholesterol1045mg Sodium612mg Potassium1g Fiber2g Sugar370IU Vitamin A11mg Vitamin C60mg Calcium3mg Iron
- Full Nutrition Label
- Nutrition Disclosure
Nutrition Facts
Beef Soup (Kharcho)
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Russian
Keyword: beef soup, soup kharcho
Skill Level: Easy/Medium
Cost to Make: $$
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Natasha Kravchuk
Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.
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FAQs
Kharcho is a beef soup from Georgia. It's also great when made with chicken, veal, or lamb.
What is the national soup of Georgia? ›
Kharcho is national Georgian beef soup with rice, walnuts and sauce tkemali. The soup is very spicy, with an abundance of garlic and herbs. Soup-Kharcho is made exclusively from beef. A distinctive feature of this national Georgian soup from other meat soups is the use of beef only, tkemali plums and grated walnuts.
What cut of beef makes good soup? ›
The best cut of meat for beef soup is either a chuck roast, chuck shoulder, chuck-eye roast or top chuck – with chuck roast being my personal favorite. These are the most tender cuts. Despite what the name suggests, stew meat is not your best choice in a beef soup recipe!
How do you add depth to beef soup? ›
Brown or Sear the Meat
If you are adding meat to a soup, sear or brown it in a sauté pan before you add it to the soup. This adds a deeper savory flavor to the whole soup.
Is Kharcho good? ›
Beef Soup Kharcho (pronounced harcho), is a hearty beef soup in tomato broth with a wonderful blend of spices and plenty of fresh herbs. The beef is fall-apart tender and just melts in your mouth – delicious!
How many calories are in Kharcho soup? ›
Nutritional value of 100 g of product: proteins - 8.5 g, fats - 8 g, carbohydrates - 42 g, Energy value (caloric content) - 1170 kJ (280 kcal). Store at a temperature not exceeding 20 ° С and a relative humidity of not more than 75%.
Why is Georgian food so good? ›
The joys of Georgian food
Warm hand-made breads, addictive cheeses, flavoursome meats and Georgian regulars like tarragon, walnuts and agika (spicy paste) dominate a delicious menu. Here are some dishes that will tingle your tastebuds for days. (And remember you can try them on Trafalgar's Georgia tour).
What is the national soup of the USA? ›
In the U.S., gumbo is the top national soup, a thick spicy soup from Louisiana. Clam chowder is another.
What is Georgia's state food? ›
List of U.S. state foods
| State | Food type | Food name |
|---|
| Georgia | State vegetable | Vidalia sweet onion |
| State fruit | Peach |
| State prepared food | Grits |
| Hawaii | | |
126 more rowsAs a result, stock is usually a healthier product, delivering a richer mouth feel and deeper flavor than broth. Stock is a versatile culinary tool that can deliver taste to any number of dishes. Darker in color and more concentrated in flavor than broth, it's ideal for use in soups, rice, sauces and more.
Using the wrong cut of meat.
The long, slow cook time leaves lean meat, like sirloin, tough and chewy, while tougher cuts, like chuck, break down and become really tender.
Should you marinate beef for soup? ›
Using marinated meats is a great way to bring new, enriched flavor to your favorite soups and stews. Marinating meat prior to making your soup is a great way to add a depth of flavor while also tenderizing often lower quality stew meat.
What is the most important ingredient in soup? ›
For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.
What seasoning makes soup taste better? ›
"Use fresh or dried basil in tomato-based recipes or fresh parsley to add freshness to clear broth soups," says Sofia Norton, RD. You can also go with more heat and spices. "Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says.
How do you make soup taste richer? ›
Vinegar – A spoonful of vinegar is a quick fix when you find yourself with a bowl of dull, flat-tasting soup. Just a small amount of acid will brighten up the flavors. 2. Soy Sauce – Soy sauce is another item that's ideal for brightening up and adding depth of flavor to an otherwise dull soup.
Where does sorrel soup come from? ›
Sorrel soup is a pale green thread that runs through the cuisines of Eastern Europe. The Poles serve it cold, garnished with hard boiled eggs and sour cream. Ukrainian “green borscht” combines sorrel with potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables for a clear soup, which is served hot.
Where did duck blood soup originate? ›
Duck blood and vermicelli soup (Chinese: 鸭血粉丝汤) is a traditional delicacy of Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, and is also eaten in other regions of China. A similar dish is eaten in Poland, Belarus, and Lithuania, where it's called czernina.
What is the national soup of Slovenia? ›
Prežganka ("browned" soup with eggs) is Slovenian national soup made of flour, caraway seeds and beaten eggs. The brown color comes from browning the flour in oil or butter.
What is the national soup of Chile? ›
Cazuela. This soup is made with chicken, beef or lamb, and you may also find squash, corn cob or potatoes in it. It's as hearty as it sounds, a good, warming dish, flavored with peppers, chili, and corn. Made with chicken, it's called cazuela de ave and is Chile's national dish.
