Shurpa Soup Recipe
Shurpa soup is a hearty Central Asian soup made of beef or lamb and veggies. Pair it with a piece of crusty, buttered bread!
Shurpa soup is perfect for curling up to on a cold, winter’s day. The broth is almost silky in texture, making it air on the side of a stew. If you’re a fan of chili or are looking to break away from your same old, same old beef stew, it’s well worth a try.
What is Shurpa Soup?
Shurpa soup is a Central Asian stew made with meat, veggies, potatoes, and paprika. A central dish to Uzbek cuisine, it’s traditionally made with lamb meat. While you can also make it with beef, there’s something really special about how the lamb fat infuses into the broth. Below, find an overview of the flavor, texture, and time it takes to make this rendition.
- Flavor: The soup is the perfect combination of slightly sweet tomatoes and bell pepper and hearty meat.
- Texture: The texture of the soup will just melt in your mouth. Slow-cooked perfection at its finest.
- Time: From prep to table, this soup takes 2 hours to make. It’s well worth the wait!
How to prepare shurpa soup from scratch
The first step is to saute the onions until golden brown in a large soup pot (use a Dutch oven if you have one):
- Brown the Meat: Slice the lamb or beef into 1-inch cubes and brown them on all sides in the soup pot. Season with paprika, pepper, and salt.
- Add the Water: Add the water and let simmer for an hour.
- Pop in the Veggies: Next, add the veggies and allow the soup to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the Potatoes, Garlic, & Herbs: Finally, add the potatoes, pressed garlic, and parsley. Cook the soup until the potatoes are fully-cooked. Season to taste with salt and enjoy!
3 Tips for the best dhurpa soup
A couple of solid tips will help you make the best shurpa soup on the planet.
- Don’t skip browning the meat. Browning the meat will not only yield a better texture, but will also create a flavorful base for the broth. Don’t skip this step!
- Cook the soup over medium heat. It might be tempting to speed up the cooking time on high heat, but medium heat will give the meat time to tenderize and will help the soup develop its flavors.
- Use fresh parsley versus dried. Fresh parsley is not only more flavorful than dried, but also adds a nice pop of color to the soup.
Ways to Serve Shurpa Soup
Shurpa soup is filling enough to be eaten as-is but is best served alongside crusty bread. My favorite bread is Borodinskiy bread, I recommend you try it 😋
Shurpa Beef Soup
Servings: 10
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hr 55 minutes
This shurpa soup recipe hails straight from Central Asia. It’s made with tender lamb or beef, red peppers, potatoes, and spices. So delicious, yummy!
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs lamb or beef
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cups carrots diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 2 cups tomatoes diced
- 8 small potatoes diced into bite size
- 1/2 bn fresh parsley diced
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 1 tbsp salt adjust to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onions until they’re golden brown.
- Slice the lamb or beef into 1-inch cubes. Next, brown the cubes on all sides until golden brown. Season generously with paprika, pepper, and salt.
- Add in 4 quarts of water and let the mixture simmer for 60 minutes.
- Add in the carrots, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Allow the soup to simmer for 20 more minutes.
- Add in the potatoes, pressed garlic, and fresh herbs. Allow the soup to simmer until the potatoes are fully cooked and easily pierced with a fork
