Kharcho

Ingredients

Beef 400 g

Onions 3

Rice 4 tbsp

Tomato 500 g

Dill

Parsley

Spices

Garlic 1 clove

Celery (root)

Make the broth. Remove the meat from the bone and cut into small pieces. Pour 2-2.5 liters of cold water into a saucepan, add the meat and bones, and bring to a boil.

When the water boils, carefully skim off any foam and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Let it simmer for an hour and a half.

Half an hour before the end of cooking, you can add parsley or celery root and salt to taste.

When the broth is cooked, remove the bones and meat and strain. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and sauté it in vegetable oil over low heat until soft. Once the onion begins to brown, add the meat from the broth and sauté for about 5 minutes.

Then add a couple of tablespoons of broth and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes.

While the meat and onions are simmering, prepare the tomatoes. Wash them, make cross-shaped cuts on the "bottoms," and pour boiling water over them for a couple of minutes. Then quickly and easily peel the skins and cut into small cubes. Add the tomato cubes to the pan with the meat and onions and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Pour the contents of the pan into the broth, which is now back on the stove and about to boil. Once the seasoned broth comes to a boil, add the rice. You can use either round or long-grain rice.

 Let our still-unfinished soup simmer for 5 minutes, reduce the heat to medium, and add the spices (the classics include khmeli-suneli, bay leaf, a couple of black allspice berries, and basil). For a spicier taste, you can add ground red pepper or a slice of hot pepper. But don't get carried away!

In addition to the spices listed, you can use coriander, tarragon, saffron, and others.

At the very last stage of cooking, add crushed garlic and finely chopped herbs (dill, parsley).

Let the soup sit, covered, for at least an hour before serving.

Enjoy!