Kharcho is a traditional Georgian (the country) soup. It is very nutritious and a dinner in itself. However, the main ingredients of this soup (the ones that define its taste) are vegan. So, this recipe is a vegan and low-carb variation of Kharcho soup. Walnuts and olive oil will give richness to this vegan version. The primary taste of this soup comes from wild plums of tkemali sauce, mild spiciness from adjika sauce and several flavorful spices.
Meet Low-Carb Kharcho Soup Ingredients
The essence of the Georgian cuisine is in the flavors of their unique spices. Dishes are not very hot but spicy in flavor.
It is important to remember that tomatoes are not supposed to give the primary sourness in this soup.
That’s why it is important to remove the seeds from them. Kharcho is best eaten in one sitting and it is meant to be consumed right away. This is to ensure full flavor and to keep the rice from falling apart the next time the dish is heated. If you prefer to stretch the soup over a few days, pre-cook the rice separately and add just before the soup is ready and every time you reheat it. Remember that rice expands during cooking, one tablespoon is usually enough for one portion. This recipe uses vegetable-based rice as a low-carb alternative to regular rice.
To summarize: the main flavor accents of the soup: sourness should come from wild plums of Tkemali sauce, not tomatoes. Moderate spiciness comes from the chili pepper and garlic of Adjika sauce. Flavor comes from several unique spices. Watch the amount of rice and avoid overcooking it. Just like with any soup, salt should to be added at the end of preparation time.
Low-Carb Kharcho Soup Recipe
To prep two portions of low-carb vegan Kharcho you will need:
- Two tablespoons of Right Rice
- Half a tablespoon of Garlic Base for the vegetable stock
- One purple and one white onion: the former for the vegetable stock and the latter for the soup
- One medium size tomato or an equal quantity of tomatoes of other sizes
- Two medium size carrots
- A couple of celery stalks
- Two garlic cloves
- Four walnuts
- One tablespoon Tkemali sauce
- One tablespoon Adjika sauce, moderately hot, based on this recipe
- Some coriander with stems
- Pinch of chaber spice, optional
- Pinch of ground coriander seeds
- Pinch of Utskho Suneli spice
- Himalayan salt to taste
Peel the carrots and cut them into wedges. Partially remove the skin from the purple onion and cut it into 4 pieces. Cut celery stalks in half.
Transfer all of the above into a saucepan with three cups of boiling water. Set to low heat and cook for 40-60 minutes with the lid closed. While the stock is getting ready you can move to the next step. Crush walnuts and garlic with a pinch of salt in a mortar with pestle.
By the way, crushed walnuts with garlic and added spices (paprika or Japanese Seven Spice) make a great gourmet appetizer.
Cut white onion along its “lines of growth, vertically”. This way it will keep its shape in the soup better. Transfer the onion to the saucepan with some vegetable oil and set to high heat. Remove the skin from the tomato. The easiest way to do this is to cut a small cross on its skin and put it into the boiling stock for a couple of minutes.
Then the skin can be removed effortlessly.
Cut the tomato in half and remove the seeds along with the extra liquid. This is to reduce the tomato-based sourness of the soup. Sourness in Kharcho should come from the wild plums of Tkemali sauce. Chop the tomato and add it to the onion. Also add finely chopped coriander. Mix all well and stir fry until the onion changes color to slightly golden.
Remove the vegetables from the saucepan with the stock, they are no longer needed for the soup. Add Garlic Base into it and water if needed. Then transfer the frying pan contents to the saucepan with the vegetable stock. Add Tkemali sauce, Adjika, Right Rice and all the remaining spices. Add salt to taste. In about 10-12 minutes when rice is cooked, the soup will be ready. You can serve kharcho with sour cream or Greek yogurt.
