Kharcho- Georgian Lamb And Rice Soup

How to re-create this recipe: 

Ingredients:

(Yields 8-10 servings)

• 2 Lbs of Lamb Stew Meat
• 1 Medium Yellow or White Onion (small diced)
• 2 Celery Stalks (small diced)
• 28 Oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
• 60 grams of Walnuts (about 3/4 cup/finely chopped)
• 2 cups of Beef Broth
• 2 cups of water
• 2-3 Tbsp’s of Olive Oil
• 2 Tsp of Table Salt (plus more for seasoning)
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Tsp ground Coriander
• 1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 Tsp Oregano
• 2 Garlic Cloves (smashed)
• 2 Tbsp of fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/2 a cup of Basmati Rice
• 1/4 cup of Fresh Parsley
• 1/4 cup of Fresh Dill

Putting it together:

1. Pre-heat a Dutch oven or Soup pot over medium/high heat.  Add 2 Tbsp’s of Olive Oil , sprinkle the 2 Tsp’s of salt on the meat,and sear your Lamb until all sides are browned. You do not have to cook it fully. Once the meat is browned remove it from the pot and set it aside.
2. Add about a Tsp of Olive Oil and the chopped onions and celery and saute on high heat for about 5 minutes until the veggies have softened.
3. Add the canned tomatoes (do not strain the tomatoes), bay leaves, 2 cups of beef broth, 2 cups of water, and the lamb and cook for about 1.5 hour , with the lid on and simmer until the meat is very tender.
4. After 1.5 hour add the rice, smashed garlic cloves, chopped walnuts, lemon juice, coriander, paprika and oregano and simmer for another 20 minutes until the rice is cooked through.
5. After 20 minutes add your chopped up Parsley and Dill and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Nourishment for your body:  Harcho is the perfect one pot meal! It’s got your protein, starch and plenty of veggies all rolled into one pot! Lamb has an impressive amount of B vitamins. Lambs also need to be grass fed and they have a significant amount of omega 3 to omega 6 ratio which is great for heart health.

Tips when cooking: You can substitute the Lamb in this soup for Beef, Pork, Chicken or goose. One thing that I love about Harcho is that there are many different spices you can use and substitute several of the ingredients. Other spices to add can be Turmeric, Marjoram, Fenugreek, Sumac, and allspice. Traditional Harcho typically has something called Tklapi which is a dried sour plum condiment. If you do not come across this, you can substitute Tamarind paste for it. You don’t have to necessarily use Basmati rice either. Jasmine or any other long grain rice is good.