Recipe
🥙 LUNCH
Shurpa (Lamb and Vegetable Soup)
A slow-simmered Uzbek soup of bone-in lamb and large chunks of vegetables in a clear golden broth, finished with dill and cilantro.
Uzbek · easy · serves 6
prep 20 min · cook 120 min
~494 cal · 36g protein · 42g carbs · 20g fat · 7g fiber · 8g sugars · 9g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Shurpa is one of the oldest and most beloved soups of Central Asia, an Uzbek staple of bone-in lamb simmered slowly with large pieces of vegetables in a clear, golden broth. The bones and a little tail fat give the broth its body and colour, and the vegetables are kept in generous chunks rather than diced small.
The spicing is deliberately restrained, cumin, coriander, a little paprika, and bay, so the lamb stays the centre of the bowl. The clear qaynatma style simply everything gently; a darker qovurma version fries the meat and onions first. Many Tashkent and Ferghana households add chickpeas, while simpler versions keep to lamb, potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes.
Shurpa is served in deep bowls at weddings, gatherings, and family tables, and as a restorative dish for the unwell. It is eaten with torn Uzbek non to soak up the broth.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 6
1.5 lbs bone-in lamb shoulder or neck, cut into large pieces
1/2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
2 large onions, quartered
3 large carrots, cut into thick chunks
4 medium waxy potatoes, halved
3 ripe tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper, cut into wide strips
6 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp sweet paprika
2 bay leaves
1 tsp black pepper
to taste salt
1 small bunch fresh dill, chopped
1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
10 cups water
Instructions
1
Cover the lamb with cold water, bring to a boil, then boil for 5 minutes and drain, rinsing the meat and pot to keep the finished broth clear.
✎ Chef’s note
This blanching step lifts the grey foam and blood proteins that would otherwise cloud the broth.
2
Return the lamb to the clean pot with 10 cups fresh water, the quartered onions, crushed garlic, and bay leaves, bring to a bare simmer, and skim any foam.
3
Add the soaked chickpeas and a good pinch of salt, then simmer gently, partly covered, for about 1 hour until the lamb is approaching tender.
4
Add the carrots along with the cumin seeds, coriander, paprika, and black pepper, and simmer for 15 minutes more.
5
Add the potatoes, tomatoes, and bell pepper and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the lamb pulls from the bone.
6
Taste and adjust the salt, then ladle into deep bowls so each holds meat, chickpeas, and vegetables, and shower with the dill and cilantro.
7
Serve hot with torn Uzbek non or crusty bread to soak up the broth.
Uzbek home and teahouse cooking.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Tashkent. Tashkent, a Silk Road crossroads, cooks plov in giant kazan cauldrons, plus samsa pastries and non bread; every Uzbek region argues for its own style, and Tashkent's is only one of them. Palov culture went onto UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2016. Central Asian hospitality and Uzbek tradition center the capital's table.
🗺️
Uzbekistan. Uzbek cuisine is the crossroads of the Silk Road, anchored by plov, a fragrant rice pilaf of lamb, carrots, and cumin cooked in a giant cauldron. Bread (non), samsa pastries, and green tea define its generous, hospitable table.
🌍
Asia. Fermentation is the thread that runs the whole way across: soy sauce and miso, Korean doenjang and kimchi, Southeast Asian fish sauces, the soured batter behind an idli. Chilli is the newcomer among them, arriving only after 1500 with Portuguese and Spanish traders, which makes the heat in Sichuan, Thai and Korean cooking far younger than the fermenting underneath it.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Uzbekistan
Uzbek PlovSilk Road rice cooked in one kazan with lamb, mountains of carrots, cumin, and whole garlic heads.
KatlamaFlaky, layered pan-fried flatbread brushed with oil and folded, a Central Asian morning staple.
SamsaFlaky baked pastries filled with spiced lamb and onion, blistered golden in a tandoor, a Silk Road staple.
Browse all Uzbekistan recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Pot or saucepan.
Storing it: Soup keeps 3 to 4 days refrigerated and freezes well. Reheat gently and loosen with a little water or stock if needed.
Make it a Uzbekistan meal
Chak-ChakDessert
Dimlama (Layered Steamed Stew)Dinner
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Frequently asked questions
What is Shurpa (Lamb and Vegetable Soup)?
A slow-simmered Uzbek soup of bone-in lamb and large chunks of vegetables in a clear golden broth, finished with dill and cilantro.
Where does Shurpa (Lamb and Vegetable Soup) come from?
Shurpa (Lamb and Vegetable Soup) is a Uzbek dish from Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Can Shurpa (Lamb and Vegetable Soup) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Shurpa (Lamb and Vegetable Soup) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Shurpa (Lamb and Vegetable Soup) safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Shurpa (Lamb and Vegetable Soup) take to make?
About 140 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 120 minutes cooking), serving 6.
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