Shurpa - Rich Uzbek soup

To cook shurpa you will need:

• 0.5 kg of mutton (ribs or fillet) or beef;

• 300 g of onion;

• 200 g of carrot;

• 200 g of sweet pepper;

• 200 g of tomatoes;

• 200 g of potatoes;

• spices (salt, zira, black pepper and others);

• herbs (dill, parsley, coriander or any other you like or are accustomed to);

• about 2 l of water; shurpa must not be too thin, it is a thick soup.

✔ Put large pieces of meat and bones into cold water and boil them for 1.5-2 hours. As the water starts to boil, turn down the fire.

✔ Then take the meat and bones out and separate the meat from the bones. Cut the meat into small even pieces and put them back into the broth.

✔ Now add vegetables cut into large pieces and boil the soup on small fire so that the vegetables can gradually become soft and give the soup all their taste. The sour tomatoes may prevent the potatoes from boiling up properly, which is why the tomatoes should be added at the end of the cooking process, together with herbs and spices.

✔ After being finished, the shurpa can be portioned out in traditional bowls (kosa), with a handful of fresh herbs put in each bowl. Shurpa can also be served separately, that is, broth in large bowls and meat and vegetables in a dish.