Kharcho — Beef and Walnut Soup

Georgian Non Fasting Published April 21, 2026

Non-Fasting Recipe: This dish contains meat, dairy, or eggs and is intended for feast days and non-fasting periods.

A thick, dark, sour-spicy soup from western Georgia: beef simmered with rice, thickened with ground
walnuts, soured with tkemali or sour plums, and finished with a handful of fresh cilantro. One bowl
is a meal. A second bowl is a celebration.

FASTING LEVEL: Non-Fasting (beef)

SERVINGS: 6
TIME: 2 hours 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
- 800 g beef chuck or brisket, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 2.5 litres water
- 2 large onions, finely diced
- 150 g long-grain rice, rinsed
- 150 g walnuts, finely ground in a food processor
- 3 tablespoons tklapi (dried plum leather) rehydrated, or 3 tablespoons tkemali (sour plum sauce), or 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons khmeli suneli (Georgian spice blend)
- 1 teaspoon dried blue fenugreek
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 dried bay leaves
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 large bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

METHOD:
1. Place beef in a large pot with cold water. Bring to a boil, skim foam thoroughly, reduce to a simmer, and cook 90 minutes until beef is tender.
2. In a separate skillet, heat oil. Sauté onions 7 minutes until golden. Add tomato paste, khmeli suneli, fenugreek, and cayenne. Cook 2 minutes.
3. Add the onion mixture to the beef pot along with rice and bay leaves. Simmer 20 minutes.
4. Stir in ground walnuts and sour plum component (tkemali, rehydrated tklapi, or pomegranate molasses). Simmer 10 minutes more.
5. Add minced garlic and half the herbs. Simmer 3 minutes. Taste: kharcho should be rich, sour, slightly spicy, and thick. Adjust salt and sourness.
6. Remove bay leaves. Rest 10 minutes off the heat.
7. Serve in deep bowls with a generous handful of remaining cilantro and parsley on top. Pass bread for dipping.

NOTES:
- The walnuts do more than flavour — they thicken the soup into its characteristic consistency.
- Tklapi (dried sour plum sheets) is the most authentic souring agent. Tkemali is the easiest substitute. Pomegranate molasses is a good pantry alternative.
- Khmeli suneli is essential. Available at Russian and Georgian grocers. You can approximate: equal parts ground fenugreek, coriander, marigold, dill seed, bay, and black pepper.
- Kharcho tastes much better the next day. Make a big batch.

NUTRITION (per serving, approximate):
Calories: 510 | Protein: 38 g | Carbohydrates: 32 g | Fat: 26 g | Fibre: 4 g