Lamb shurpa in a cauldron over a campfire

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you cook lamb shurpa in a cauldron? Gather all the ingredients. What's the best meat? The tastiest shurpa comes from lamb. Use bone-in meat for a richer broth, plus some boneless meat. I used a medium-sized lamb shoulder. Seasonal vegetables are best — they're more vivid and full-flavored.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the cauldron and set it over a strong fire to heat up.

3. Step 3:

   

   Meanwhile, rinse the meat well in clean water and cut it into medium-sized pieces.

4. Step 4:

   

   Pour refined vegetable oil into the hot cauldron and let it get very hot.

5. Step 5:

   

   Add the peeled small onions to the cauldron and fry them until golden. Use a slotted spoon to coat the sides of the cauldron with the oil. Be careful not to burn yourself!

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the lamb to the cauldron and fry it over a strong fire for about 10 minutes. Then pour water over the meat, bring everything to a boil, and skim off the foam that forms. Cover the cauldron and cook the meat almost until done (it took me an hour and a half). Try to keep the fire under the cauldron at medium so the water doesn't boil away too fast — it should keep gently bubbling; if it isn't, build the fire up.

7. Step 7:

   

   While the meat cooks, it's a good time to prep everything else. Peel the potatoes, onions, carrots, and garlic. Wash the vegetables and herbs well in clean water. Cut large potatoes into medium pieces and leave small ones whole.

8. Step 8:

   

   Cut the carrots into batons; core and seed the large bell peppers and cut them into strips. Leave small peppers whole.

9. Step 9:

   

   After the time is up, check whether the lamb is done. It should be tender; if it's still tough (which happens with an older sheep), simmer it a while longer over the fire. Also check whether too much broth has boiled away. This time mine was noticeably reduced, so I added a little boiling water to the cauldron. Add the potatoes to the shurpa. Build the fire under the cauldron up to maximum.

10. Step 10:

    

    Next, add the carrots and bell peppers to the soup. Salt to taste.

11. Step 11:

    

    Stir everything together. Once it boils, cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes.

12. Step 12:

    

    Chop the onion and garlic medium-fine and get the cumin ready (I also used a Caucasian spice blend and a pinch of ground coriander).

13. Step 13:

    

    Cut the tomatoes into wedges. You can peel them first if you like; I usually don't.

14. Step 14:

    

    Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, and all the seasonings to the cauldron.

15. Step 15:

    

    Gently stir everything and cook until all the ingredients are done.

16. Step 16:

    

    The finishing touch: add fresh herbs to the shurpa. Basil, cilantro, parsley, and green onion all go beautifully with this soup. Chop the onion and parsley finely.

17. Step 17:

    

    Cilantro and basil have bold flavors, and bits of them in the soup aren't to everyone's liking, so I suggest a twist on the usual way of adding these herbs to soup. Gather the basil and cilantro into a bundle and tie the stems with a clean string (leave one end of the string long).

18. Step 18:

    

    Drop the herb bundle into the cauldron, leaving one end of the string hanging over the side.

19. Step 19:

    

    Push the bundle down into the broth with a slotted spoon, cover the cauldron, and leave it like that for 5–7 minutes.

20. Step 20:

    

    Next, pull the herb bundle out of the shurpa by the long end of the string. The result: no loose herbs in the soup, but a stunning, appetizing aroma throughout.

21. Step 21:

    

    The shurpa is ready! Rake the coals out from under the cauldron and let the soup rest. The longer the shurpa sits, the tastier it gets. At serving time, offer everyone chopped parsley and green onion to add to their bowl. Add pepper if you like.