Beef Soup (Kharcho) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do I make my soup taste more beef? ›

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.

Simmering in a little bit of liquid or broth is a great way to tenderize. Acidity can also be your friend here. A little bit of vinegar and lemon juice in the liquid can help you tenderize the meat. It adds moisture, but it also cooks the meat.

Georgia

Kharcho / Origin

The most popular soups in a Georgian cuisine are khashi, kharcho and chikhirtma.

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.

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.

Make a marinade with acidic components—such as citrus juice, buttermilk, yogurt, wine, vinegar or soda—to help break down tough connective tissue and muscle fibers.

Does Beef Get More Tender the Longer You Cook It? Yes and no. It might seem counterintuitive, but tough cuts of beef get more tender with longer cooking times, while tender cuts of beef become more tough the longer you cook them.

Place a lid on top, turn heat down to low, then simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove lid then gently simmer for another 1-1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender and stew has thickened, stirring occasionally.

Beef Soup Kharcho (pronounced harcho), is a hearty beef soup in tomato broth with a wonderful blend of spices and plenty of fresh herbs.

How long do you cook beef? ›

Recipe Tips

Let beef sit at room temperature for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour before beginning this recipe. If your roast is not at room temperature, the cook time will be longer. Regardless of the size of your roast, aim to cook at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 minutes per pound.

Kharcho, also spelled Harcho (Georgian: ხარჩო), is a traditional Georgian soup containing beef, rice, cherry plum purée, and chopped walnuts (Juglans regia), but they are not compulsory. The soup is seasoned with Khmeli Suneli and coriander. The soup is usually served with finely chopped fresh coriander.

A comforting classic, chicken noodle soup is widely loved for its soothing properties and delicious taste.

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.

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.

Seasoning Your Stew

For seasonings, I like Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and a good red wine. I've also used a dark beer in place of the wine and been very happy with the results. You can certainly play with your own favorite seasonings, but I would recommend keeping them fairly simple.

You can never go wrong with thyme sprigs, sage leaves, and bay leaves. Red wine vinegar. Adding an acidic ingredient like red wine vinegar, red wine, lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar is supposed to help break down the bones and extract the nutrients, creating a flavorful, nutrient-dense broth.