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Dairy Free
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Gluten Free
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Nut Free
Learn to Make this Hearty Beef Soup Kharcho
Kharcho (pronounced Harcho) is a traditional beef and rice soup made with a tomato base. It is an absolute staple in many Russian homes though the recipe varies from family to family. Today, I’d like to share with you my version of Kharcho, which beautifully combines beef, rice, and potatoes in a flavorful base.

Table of Contents
What makes this soup so good?
The melt-in-your-mouth tender pieces of beef. This is the hero. You get juicy boneless chunks of beef in every bite smothered in the soup base. Oh my goodness. I think I’ll have to make a big pot of this myself soon.
Perfectly spiced, deliciously garnished. We’re adding onion, garlic, bay leaf, parsley, and salt and pepper to this soup. There’s no such thing as bland here.
It is so fulfilling. This soup isn’t just a dish. Nope. It’s an entire meal. Rice? Potatoes? Beef? All you need is a thick slice of crusty bread for dipping.
Kharcho will make a soup lover out of anyone who wasn’t too crazy about soups before. It is that good.
I’m sure this will become a family favorite in your home, especially on that chilly fall and winter nights. It is definitely a go-to comfort meal for my family.
I’m excited to know how you liked this recipe!
So, here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
- beef or lamb
- rice
- potatoes
- tomato paste
- garlic
- onion
- salt and pepper
- parsley
- bay leaf
- unsalted butter

Enjoy these amazing protein-filled beef recipes from the blog!
You can make a Creamy and Quick Dinner Spaghetti with Beef and Mushroom Sauce as the perfect weeknight meal.
This One-Pot Beef Stew Recipe is the perfect comfort food with some dinner rolls on the side!

Learn to Make this Hearty Beef Soup Kharcho
Equipment
- Vegetable peeler
- garlic press
- Soup pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef, or lamb, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup rice
- 3-4 potatoes, peeled & cut
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 onion, chopped
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 handful parsley, chopped
- 1 bay leaf, optional
- ½ Tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
- Fill a medium size pot with water, add stew sized beef pieces, a bay leaf (optional), and salt. On medium heat, cook for 30 minutes.1 lb beef,, 1 bay leaf,, salt & pepper,
- While the beef is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Peel and cut the potatoes.3-4 potatoes,
- Chop parsley and set aside.1 handful parsley,
- Mince the garlic and add to the parsley.1 clove garlic,
- Chop onion.1 onion,
- After beef has boiled, strain the water to a different pot or into a bowl and wash the pot and put water from the beef back into the pot and add in the cut potato. Start boiling the potatoes and rice.½ cup rice, 3-4 potatoes,
- In a frying pan melt unsalted butter.½ Tbsp unsalted butter
- Add chopped onion and cooked beef pieces then sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After potato and rice have boiled, add beef and onion into the pot.
- Add tomato paste and boil for 1 minute then add parsley and garlic.1 Tbsp tomato paste
- Salt and pepper to taste. All done, enjoy!
When I can understand Marina’s directions, I end up with a delicious recipe. Often, though, the directions are unclear or incomplete. I hope Marina will ask someone to edit her recipes, following them while actually cooking, before publishing.