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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: $$
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
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
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.
Where is Kharcho soup from? ›
Kharcho is a beef soup from Georgia. It's also great when made with chicken, veal, or lamb.
How do you fix tough beef in soup? ›
Slow Cooking and Simmering: A Gentle Approach
One of the most reliable methods for softening tough meat in stew is to cook it slowly over low heat. Using a slow cooker or simmering your stew on the stovetop for an extended period can break down the collagen and create tender and flavorful meat.
How to make tender meat in soup? ›
How do you make soup with super tender beef? The ideal is actually to use a tough cut and use the low and slow cooking method to turn it into a tender mouthful. All of that connective tissue that dissolves in the long cooking process adds to the stock and thickening of the soup.
What is the most flavorful beef for soup? ›
What is the best cut of beef for 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.
What enhances the flavor of beef? ›
Beef tastes great when seasoned with oregano, rosemary, sage, garlic or a combination of these seasonings. Poultry gets an added burst of flavor with spices like paprika, lemongrass and saffron. Fish can be made more flavorful with dry mustard powder, thyme and turmeric.
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!
What is the history of Kharcho? ›
The term 'Kharcho' is a word that rolls off the tongue, rooted in the Georgian language, with a phonetic elegance that belies its humble origins. Some whisper that it derives from an ancient word for "boiled meat," while others argue that it speaks to the characteristic sourness imparted by cherry plums or tamarind.
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%.
How long does it take for beef to get tender in soup? ›
So, I'm finally happy to say the trick to tender beef soup is to simmer it long enough, for about two and half to three hours and use beef chuck instead of stew meat. I trimmed the hard fat off the beef chuck and chopped it into mostly even size pieces. It doesn't have to be perfect for it to be tender and delicious.
The calcium-rich properties of milk react with enzymes in the meat to gently soften the proteins. Whole milk (not reduced fat), buttermilk, and yogurt all get the job done – with a special nod to buttermilk and yogurt for their optimal tenderizing acidity levels.
Do you cook beef before adding to soup? ›
How to make Beef Soup. The key step here is to brown the beef well – aggressively is the term that I use. This adds a ton of flavour to the beef itself and the broth, from the brown bits on the bottom of the pot that dissolves into the broth.
What spice makes meat tender? ›
Garlic: Garlic contains a natural compound called allicin, which can help to break down meat fibers. Rosemary: Rosemary contains a natural acid called rosmarinic acid, which can help to break down meat fibers. Thyme: Thyme contains natural acids that can help to break down meat fibers and make the meat more tender.
How long to boil beef until tender? ›
Top with enough cold water to just cover and season with a very generous pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cook, skimming occasionally, until each cut of beef is fork-tender, at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours, depending on the cut and animal your beef is from.
How do you fix bland beef soup? ›
The best way to ensure a flavorful soup is to brown the beef and onions in the beginning. If the soup tastes bland at the end of cooking, add more spices and herbs. After adding, allow the soup to cook a little longer so the flavors to meld together.
How to make beef taste more beefy? ›
Use non-tomato things to bring out more beefy and umami flavours, including:
- Properly caramelised onions. This can take up to an hour to do properly.
- Worcestershire sauce.
- Soy sauce.
- A very small amount of star anise. ...
- Red wine or something with a small amount of acidity to brighten up the flavours.
Beef Flavor
To make your own spice blend: Start with a base mixture of salt, pepper, brown sugar, onion, garlic, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Other great flavoring agents for beef-alternative dishes are: Vegan Worcestershire sauce – Adds that signature umami flavor.
What gives beef stew the best flavor? ›
Add spices such as turmeric, coriander and cumin at the early stage of cooking, when you are frying onions and garlic, to enhance the taste of the beef stew. Fresh herbs like coriander and bay leaves also contribute a distinct flavour without making the dish too spicy for the younger members of the family.
