• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
✮ The Food Dictator ✮

The Hirshon Kharcho (Georgian Beef Soup) – ხარშო

March 4, 2015 by The Generalissimo 4 Comments

501
SHARES
FacebookTwitterPinterestRedditWhatsappYummly
Light Dark Dark Light
()
Georgian Kharcho Soup
Kharcho Image Used Under Creative Commons License From Wikipedia

Georgia, sweet Georgia – not the state, but the ancient country in the Caucasus mountains! Georgia is where weaving and wine were invented!

It is where Jason found the mythical Golden Fleece, whose people regularly live to be 100+ and have poetry and song written into the very DNA of a culture that is resplendent in its renowned hospitality and delicious foods!

As you can tell – I’m a fan. 😉

Georgian cuisine represents perhaps the ultimate mastery of harmonized herbs and spices, combining both Indian and Mediterranean sensibilities with a unique and vibrant cuisine that is all its own.

It is even more healthy than the classic Mediterranean diet, including superfoods such as walnuts, pomegranate, garlic and more spices than you literally have in your home at this moment in time. Check out all the Georgian herbs and spices used in their cuisine at this link.

Sadly, while Georgian cuisine is renowned in Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union, it is practically unknown everywhere else – and I have made it my life’s work to correct that heinous miscarriage of food justice!

I’ve posted at least one Georgian recipe before, and will post many more in the coming months and years – this one is a personal favorite. 🙂

Be advised – there are several unfamiliar spices and ingredients in this Kharcho recipe, but I offer substitutes and you will be rewarded with a unique and truly delicious experience if you follow my lead.

Kharcho (ხარჩო) is a beef and rice soup that is one of the national dishes of Georgia – but to call it just that is doing it a grave disservice, as a single sip is a revelation!

Kharcho is seasoned with the unique Georgian spice blend called Khmeli Suneli (ხმელი სუნელი, literally “dried spices”) – a blend that includes a range of different spices such as Wild Blue Fenugreek, Marigold Petals, Georgian Bay Leaf, Red Pepper, Basil, Fennel, Parsley, & Cilantro. Every house has their own version and ingredients – I will share my own.

Several of the spices in this mix are nearly impossible to find in the US, but I have (after much diligent research!) found them for you or I’ve suggested alternatives that are much easier to find in your grocery store.

Make it by combining a generous ½ teaspoon each of: ground coriander seed, dried basil, ground caraway seed, ground marigold flowers (buy from here or use turmeric), and lastly Utskho Suneli (Wild Blue Fenugreek) – buy from here or use regular ground fenugreek

The soup also uses the sour green plum sauce flavored with herbs and spices called Tkemali. It is also difficult to find in this country, but you can buy it from here – be sure and use the green version, not the red, as it is more flavorful).

I alternatively suggest a very effective substitute in the recipe that to my knowledge has never been suggested before!

Enough background – time to sample this wonderful Kharcho recipe and prepare to have your tastebuds BLOWN AWAY, Citizens! 😀

Battle on – The Generalissimo

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
The Hirshon Georgian Kharcho Soup

The Hirshon Kharcho (Georgian Beef Soup) – ხარშო


★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Total Time: 0 hours
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • For the soup:
  • 1 pound of veal or beef bones
  • 2 quarts of bottled water
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kitchen Browning Sauce – more if needed to give a good color (optional)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs of cilantro
  • 1/4 teaspoon of whole black peppercorns
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 tablespoons of walnut oil (preferred) or olive oil
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons of salt
  • 1/4 cup Georgian Green Tkemali sauce (Substitution – use 1/8 cup A-1 steak sauce mixed with 1/8 cup plum, apricot or quince jam)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup uncooked rice
  • 2 pounds tender leftover meat such as from brisket or beef stew cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
  • 1/4 teaspoon of paprika
  • 3 tablespoons (or more) of finely chopped fresh herbs (I recommend basil, cilantro and dill)
  • Fresh-ground black pepper
  • The Hirshon Khmeli Suneli spice blend to taste

Instructions

  1. Bring the bones to a boil in up to 2 quarts of water (or use enough to cover) and skim the foam that rises to the surface. Then add the bay leaves, cilantro sprigs and peppercorns and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Strain and discard all, saving the broth.
  2. Meanwhile, finely chop the onions and cook in oil until very soft but not brown. Add them to the soup along with salt and rice – cook for 15 minutes, then add the lemon juice and tkemali sauce.
  3. Stir in the freshly ground pepper, the garlic, cayenne, paprika and ground spices + the meat. Cook for 10 minutes more. (The soup may be cooled and refrigerated at this point. When ready to serve, heat gently, then proceed with the recipe.)
  4. Stir in the fresh herbs and let the soup stand for 5 minutes before serving.
  5. Serve with hearty bread and butter and a good Georgian red wine such as Khvanchkara or Khindzamarauli – failing that, try a fruity/spicy Pinot Noir or Malbec.
  • Prep Time: 0 hours
  • Cook Time: 0 hours

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @thefooddictator on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook and hashtag it #TFD

How useful was this post, Citizen?

Click to rate My Recipe, Citizen - 5 hearts are ALWAYS appreciated!

Average rating / 5. Vote count:

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

As you found this post useful...

Follow us on social media, Citizen!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Related posts:

The Hirshon Ethiopian Awaze Sauce - አዋዜ
The Hirshon Japanese Bamboo Shoots With Kinome and Miso - おちで木の芽和え
The Hirshon South African Monkey Gland Steak Sauce
The Hirshon Bahrain Spicy Stuffed Shrimp Balls - جباب الربيان
The Hirshon Yunnan Yiliang Roast Duck - 宜良烤鴨
The Hirshon Umbrian Pasta in Black Truffle Sauce - Strangozzi Ai Tartufi Neri
The Hirshon German Beef, Pickle and Bacon Rolls - Rouladen
The Hirshon Thai Cucumber Pickles - อาจาด

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Beef, Georgian, Soup

About The Generalissimo

The myth of the Generalissimo is far more interesting than the reality.

Previous Post: « The Best Chocolate Cake In The World
Next Post: The Hirshon Georgian Green Tkemali Sauce – ტყემალი »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sergey

    May 16, 2017 at 3:35 PM

    Thank you! Please look at my first attempt http://www.djurenko.com/en/recipes/kharcho.html

    Reply
    • The Generalissimo

      May 16, 2017 at 11:25 PM

      Sergey – your recipe looks FANTASTIC, Great job!!! 🙂

      Reply
      • Joanna

        November 6, 2020 at 11:59 AM

        Hi General;

        May I ask at which stage the minced garlic is added? I’m not sure if it is traditionally a cooked garlic flavour or the bite if the raw garlic that we are striving for here.

        Thank you for sharing your culinary heritage!

        Warmly,

        Joanna

        Reply
  2. Joanna

    November 6, 2020 at 12:03 PM

    Oops, never mind, my apologies, it is listed in the steps. My mind is a sieve today!

    All my best,

    Joanna

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

➤ Citizens – Please Support TFD Nation!

Donate to Help TFD!

⇔ Search, And Ye Shall Assuredly Find!

✮ Citizens ✮

TFD currently has a total of 1,363 posts and 1,159,134 words written since December of 2014! Add your voice to My 50,000+ dedicated readers, comment on My recipes and thus become an active member of TFD Nation! Looking for a particular recipe? Search for it in the box above or via the category tags below - there are THOUSANDS of the finest in world and historic recipes here!

❧ TREMBLE Before Our Categoric Zeal!

Appetizers (145)Beef (143)Beverages (24)Bread (111)Cheese (64)Chicken (132)Chinese (121)Chocolate (16)Condiments (262)Dessert (166)Drinks (23)Duck (20)Egg (47)Fish (56)French (56)Game (30)Georgian (34)Indian (60)Italian (58)Jewish (84)Lamb (73)Manifestos (1)Pasta (90)Pork (147)Salad (40)Sandwich (42)Seafood (84)Shrimp (53)Soup (109)Spices (12)Tofu (7)Turkey (15)Veal (18)Vegetables (108)

✺ Click to Follow Us Across Social Media!

Facebook   

    instagram

☥ TFD SPEAKS!!!

https://www.thefooddictator.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/TFD-Avatar-Cold-Open-FINAL.mp4

 Enjoy TFD’s Mellifluous Podcasts, Citizen!

Listen on Apple Podcasts

© 2023 · The Food Dictator is abjectly served by WORDPRESS

✮ The Food Dictator ✮
Manage Cookie Consent
Citizens!

Be advised that as an enlightened Dictatorship here at TFD, we are indeed on the side of right when it comes to protecting the privacy of TFD Nation!

We do use technologies such as cookies to store and/or access device information, solely to improve your browsing experience and to show personalized ads.

Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions - trust us, we really ARE on your side!

YOUR LOYALTY IS NOTED! 🎖️
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
501
SHARES
FacebookTwitterPinterestRedditMailYummly