Shurpa: Clear Uzbek Lamb and Vegetable Soup
A clear, rich lamb soup with big chunks of vegetables and chickpeas. Exactly what you want on a cold day.
Shurpa is one of the oldest dishes in Uzbek cooking. It warms you through in winter and is the traditional restorative the morning after a celebration. This is the boiled style, known as qaynatma: the lamb is not fried but simmered slowly, and the vegetables go in as large pieces.
Three rules for a clear shurpa
- Cold water. Always start the meat in cold water so the proteins set gradually and rise as foam.
- Skimming. The first ten minutes after it comes to the boil matter most.
- Low heat. A rolling boil turns the broth cloudy.
Why bone-in lamb?
Bones and connective tissue give the broth body and depth. A shurpa made only with lean meat tastes thinner. Ribs or neck are ideal.
Nutrition
Per serving (≈ 500 g). Approximate values.
How to make it
5 steps · start a timer right inside a step
Start the lamb in cold water
Rinse the lamb, put it in a large pot and cover with cold water. As it comes to the boil, skim off the foam carefully. The more thoroughly you skim, the clearer the shurpa.
Add the chickpeas and onion
Once skimmed, add the soaked chickpeas and one whole onion. Lower the heat so the broth barely trembles and simmer for an hour with the lid ajar.
Cut the vegetables large
Cut the carrots into big chunks, the peppers into quarters and the second onion into rings. Remove the whole onion from the pot, add the carrots, peppers and cumin and simmer for 20 minutes more.
Potatoes and tomatoes
Add the potatoes whole or halved and the tomatoes cut into quarters. Season with salt and cook for 20–25 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Add the onion rings at the very end so they keep a little crunch.
Rest and serve
Turn off the heat and let the shurpa rest under the lid for ten minutes. Divide the meat and vegetables between bowls, ladle over the hot broth and finish with chopped herbs.
Cook’s tips
- 1Forgot to soak the chickpeas? Cover them with boiling water and leave for an hour.
- 2A few black peppercorns and a bay leaf add a lovely background aroma.
- 3Salt at the end; as the broth reduces, it would otherwise become too salty.
- 4For a crystal-clear broth, skim the gray foam from the surface immediately after the water begins to boil and before adding any vegetables. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer so the liquid never reaches a rolling boil, which would emulsify the fat and turn the soup cloudy.
Serving & storage: Ladle the soup into deep bowls, ensuring each portion receives a large piece of bone-in lamb and a generous mix of vegetables. Serve with a side of warm flatbread and a sprinkle of fresh herbs. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, and reheat gently on the stovetop until the lamb is warmed through.
How shurpa is served
Traditionally the meat and vegetables go on a separate plate and the broth is poured into bowls. Serve with warm flatbread, yoghurt and fresh chilli; many people like to tear the bread straight into the broth.
Storing
Shurpa keeps in the fridge for up to three days and is even better on day two, once the vegetables have absorbed the flavour of the meat.
The takeaway
Shurpa will not be rushed. Cold water, careful skimming and gentle heat are all it takes to make a clear, deeply flavoured soup.
