The scalding, rich and aromatic soup Kharcho at all times has been a symbol of a strong and friendly family gathered at the dinner table. Contrary to popular belief that Kharcho is prepared exclusively from lamb, in fact, the classic version of the soup is cooked from fatty beef on the bone, it is better to purchase a brisket for this purpose. In Georgian families, an obligatory ingredient for Kharcho soup is considered tkalapi, dried sour plum or cherry plum puree, if there is none, tkemali or satsebeli sauce can serve as a substitute. Kharcho is often served with a thin lemon wedge and is always sprinkled with fresh cilantro. It is better to choose round rice for Kharcho soup, long is also suitable, but steamed rice is not. During cooking, the rice may remain slightly undercooked, when the soup is infused, the rice will open and take the form of the letter “х“, This will be correct.
Original beef Kharcho soup
Ingredients:
- Beef – 500 gr.
- Satsebeli / tkemali sauce – 150 gr.
- Rice – 150 g.
- Large onion – 1 pc.
- Sunflower oil – 10 gr.
- Garlic – 3 teeth
- Walnuts – 100 gr.
- Ground red pepper – 5 gr.
- Hops-suneli – 10 gr.
- Salt – to taste
- Cilantro, basil – to taste
Boil the broth from a whole piece of beef, or pre-cut into medium-sized pieces, after the first boil, drain the water and pour the meat with clean water. Remove the foam, cook the meat on low heat. Finely chop the onion and sauté in vegetable oil, soak the rice in cold water, finely chop the garlic, chop the nuts in a mortar or blender. When the meat is almost ready, pour rice into a saucepan, cook for 10 minutes. Add the sauce, walnuts, onions, after a couple of minutes – salt, red pepper and suneli hops. Cook for literally five minutes, put the garlic before turning it off. Infuse the soup for 15-20 minutes, serve with a handful of cilantro and green basil.
Lamb Kharcho soup
Ingredients:
- Lamb (on the bone) – 600 gr.
- Rice – 150 g.
- Tomatoes – 3 pcs.
- Garlic – 3 teeth
- Onions – 2 pc.
- Bay leaf – 3 pcs.
- Vegetable oil – 10 gr.
- Salt – to taste
- Black peppercorns – to taste
- Cilantro to taste
Thoroughly wash the lamb, cut into the bone and cover with cold water. Drain the boiled water, rinse the meat and cook for about an hour over low heat, immediately removing the formed foam. Peel the tomatoes, cut into cubes and fry with onions until soft. Add rice to the meat, after ten minutes – onions and tomatoes, after five minutes – bay leaves, pepper and salt. Boil for seven minutes, add chopped garlic and turn off the soup. Serve with cilantro or basil after 15 minutes.
Pork Kharcho soup
Ingredients:
- Lean pork – 500 gr.
- Rice – 130 g.
- Onions – 2 pc.
- Garlic – 3 teeth
- Tkemali sauce – 30 gr.
- Hops-suneli – 10 gr.
- Wheat flour – 10 gr.
- Sunflower oil – 10 gr.
- Walnuts – 100 gr. (optional)
- Chili pepper – 1/2 pod
- Bay leaf – 3 pcs.
- Parsley root to taste
- Saffron – to taste
- Cilantro to taste
- Coriander to taste
- Salt – to taste
Cut the meat into small pieces, place in cold water and boil the broth, remove the foam as needed. After an hour, add the washed rice. Fry the onion with flour in vegetable oil, grate the parsley root, send to the pan along with bay leaf and coriander. After 15 minutes, add chopped walnuts, cook for five minutes. Add tkemali, khmeli-suneli to the soup. Before turning off, put the garlic passed through a press. Let the soup steep for 10 minutes, serve with fresh cilantro and thin slices of chili.
Chicken Kharcho soup
Ingredients:
- Chicken (whole or thighs) – 900 gr.
- Rice – 200 g.
- Tkemali sauce – 120 gr.
- Tomato paste – 10 gr.
- Onions – 2 pc.
- Garlic – 3 teeth
- Wheat flour – 10 gr.
- Sunflower oil – 15 gr.
- Hops-suneli – 5 gr.
- Ground black pepper – to taste
- Bay leaf – 2 pcs.
- Cilantro to taste
- Salt – to taste
Pre-fry the chicken pieces over high heat for 3 minutes, add water and cook for 20 minutes. Add washed rice. Fry onions with flour in vegetable oil, combine with tomato paste and send to chicken and rice. After five minutes, lay the bay leaf, tkemali, suneli hops, pepper and salt. Boil for a few minutes, add chopped garlic and turn off the soup. Wait 10 minutes, serve with cilantro.
Each housewife adapts Kharcho soup to the tastes and preferences of her family, they began to add potatoes to it, replace rice with millet, barley and even noodles, change the composition of spices to suit the mood and their availability at the moment at hand. Kharcho soup is ready for change, open to everything new, because the taste is excellent in any case.