Kharcho (georgian Beef-walnut Soup With Fresh Herbs)

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless lean beef
• 8 cups beef stock
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup rice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/4 teaspoon dried mint
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet hungarian paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek (in a pinch, use curry powder)
• 2 teaspoons tamarind paste, diluted in hot stock (can substitute 4 tablespoons of lemon juice)
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 1/4 cup walnut pieces, crushed
• salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh herb (, any mixture of tarragon, cilantro, basil, parsley, mint, or dill)
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh herb (, any mixture of tarragon, cilantro, basil, parsley, mint, or dill)

Recipe

• 1 bring the meat, in one big piece, to a boil in the stock.
• 2 skim off the foam as necessary.
• 3 reduce heat and simmer, partly covered, for about 1½ hours.
• 4 remove and reserve the meat.
• 5 when the meat has been cooking for an hour or so, melt the butter in a dutch oven over medium heat, and stir in the onions.
• 6 fry for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and colored.
• 7 stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about a minute.
• 8 add 1/2 cup stock and stir until smooth.
• 9 stir in the tomato paste and the tomatoes.
• 10 whisk in the rest of the stock, add the rice, and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes.
• 11 add all the rest of the ingredients, except for the fresh herbs, and simmer them until the rice is tender--another 10 to 15 minutes.
• 12 at this point, you can cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.
• 13 when ready to serve, remove the soup from the heat, stir in the meat pieces and the 1/4 cup of fresh chopped herbs, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.
• 14 stir in the remaining herbs and ladle into bowls.
• 15 serve with hearty bread and butter and a good georgian red .