Name: Sorrel Shechamandi Kartli — Georgian Sorrel and Walnut Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 2 h
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 200 g dried wild sorrel, rinsed; 2 litres fresh water for the soup, plus extra for soaking and boiling the leaves; 200 g walnuts, finely ground or crushed; 16 g wheat bread flour (about 2 level tablespoons); 15 ml neutral vegetable oil (about 1 tablespoon); 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 30 g plum tklapi, finely chopped, or to taste; 2 g ground coriander (about 1 teaspoon); 4 g fine salt, or to taste; 0.5 g freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

A bowl of olive-green sorrel and walnut shechamandi sits on the right side of a rustic wooden table with bread and herbs behind it.

Yield8 portions, about 2.4 kg total

Serving basisabout 300 g per bowl

DifficultyEasy

soakand prepare the sorrel, then stir in a smooth flour paste

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The dish

About Sorrel Shechamandi Kartli — Georgian Sorrel and Walnut Soup

მჟაუნას შეჩამანდი · 8 portions · about 2.4 kg · Easy · 120 minutes (including soaking)

Shechamandi is a family of Georgian soups associated especially with Shida Kartli. This version centers on dried wild sorrel, walnuts and plum tklapi. The leaves are soaked, boiled, squeezed and chopped before they are simmered in fresh water. A small flour-and-oil paste gives the broth body; garlic, coriander and walnuts make it savory, while tklapi brings a rounded fruit tartness.

The name covers more than one preparation. This recipe follows the documented dried-sorrel branch and does not combine it with fresh-sorrel soup thickened with egg, cornel-fruit shechamandi or matsoni-based dairy soups. Household formulas vary, so use the quantities here as a practical home version. Dried wild sorrel can vary greatly in sourness and intensity; taste before adding all the tklapi or salt.

The finished soup should be spoonable, with the fine leaves and ground walnuts distributed through the broth. Keep the heat gentle after adding the nuts, then let the pot stand briefly so the flavor settles. Serve warm rather than at a rolling boil.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

მჟაუნას შეჩამანდი · 8 portions · about 2.4 kg · Easy · 120 minutes (including soaking)

For 8 portions

200 gdried wild sorrel, rinsed
2litres fresh water for the soup, plus extra for soaking and boiling the leaves
200 gwalnuts, finely ground or crushed
16 gwheat bread flour (about 2 level tablespoons)
15 mlneutral vegetable oil (about 1 tablespoon)
3garlic cloves, crushed
30 gplum tklapi, finely chopped, or to taste
2 gground coriander (about 1 teaspoon)
4 gfine salt, or to taste
0.5 gfreshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Method

Soak and prepare the sorrel. Rinse the dried leaves well. Cover with plenty of cool water and soak for 1 hour. Drain, cover with fresh water in a saucepan and bring to a boil; simmer about 10 minutes, until pliable. Drain, cool until safe to handle, squeeze out excess water and chop finely.
Simmer in fresh water. Bring 2 litres of fresh water to a gentle boil in a large pot. Add the chopped sorrel and simmer for 8–10 minutes so it softens and flavors the broth.
Thicken the broth. Work the flour and oil together into a smooth paste. Whisk in a ladleful of hot broth a little at a time, then stir this mixture back into the pot. Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes, stirring, until the soup thickens slightly and the raw-flour smell is gone.
Add walnuts and tklapi. Grind or crush the walnuts with the garlic, coriander, salt and pepper to a moist, coarse paste. Stir it into the soup. Add the chopped tklapi and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Avoid a hard boil, which may make the walnut mixture separate.
Balance and rest. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper or tklapi for a balanced tart, savory flavor. If the soup is thicker than you like, loosen it with hot water. Rest for 5 minutes; add a little extra coriander at the table if desired.
Serve and store. Serve warm in shallow bowls. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate. The soup thickens as it stands; stir in a little water when reheating if needed.

Excerpt

Dried wild sorrel, walnuts and plum tklapi give this Kartli soup its deep green color and gentle tartness. A little flour and oil thicken the broth without making it heavy.

Practical guidance

Success points

Buy dried sorrel sold for food; wild plants should be used only when their identity is certain.
Rinse and soak the leaves, then drain and squeeze them well before adding them to the fresh broth.
Mix flour and oil first, then thin the paste with hot broth to prevent lumps.
Keep the soup at a gentle simmer after adding walnuts; a hard boil may make the walnut paste separate.
Add tklapi gradually and balance its tartness with salt and a little extra water if needed.

Practical guidance

Dried leaves differ in size and tartness, and tklapi products can range from mildly fruity to sharply sour. Start with part of the tklapi, simmer, taste, then add more. If using a thin sheet of tklapi, snip it into small pieces so it softens evenly. Crush the walnuts finely enough to thicken the soup, while leaving a little texture. The recipe is naturally plant-based when the flour, oil and tklapi contain no animal-derived ingredients.

Troubleshooting

The soup is too sour: add hot water a little at a time and taste again; do not try to mask it with excess salt.
The flour forms lumps: whisk the paste with hot broth until smooth before returning it to the pot.
The walnut mixture separates: lower the heat and stir gently; avoid a rolling boil.
The soup is too thick after standing: loosen it with hot water while reheating.

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving (approximate)

Serving size: about 300 g
Calories: 267 kcal
Carbohydrate: 21 g
Protein: 8 g
Fat: 18 g
Fibre: 4 g
Sodium: approximately 260 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains walnuts and wheat/gluten. Use dried sorrel intended for food and correctly identified as an edible Rumex; do not eat gathered plants if identification is uncertain. Refrigerate cooked soup within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the room is above 32 °C. Keep at 4 °C or colder and use within 3–4 days, or freeze. Reheat evenly to 74 °C, stirring before checking with a food thermometer.

Frequently asked questions

Is every shechamandi made with sorrel? No. Shechamandi includes several Georgian soups; cornel-fruit and dairy versions are separate preparations.

Can I use fresh sorrel? Fresh sorrel needs a different quantity and method. This measured version follows the dried wild-sorrel branch; do not swap equal weights.

What is tklapi? It is a thin sheet of dried fruit purée, often plum. Break or snip it into small pieces and let it soften in the soup.

In summary

The result: a savory, gently tart green soup with walnuts, garlic and plum tklapi.
The key technique: soak, boil and squeeze the dried leaves, then add the walnut paste over gentle heat.

About Sorrel Shechamandi Kartli — Georgian Sorrel and Walnut Soup

Ingredients

For 8 portions

Method

Excerpt

Success points

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Nutrition per serving (approximate)

Allergens and food safety

Frequently asked questions

In summary

More Georgian dishes

Matsvnis Shechamandi — Georgian Matsoni Soup (Kartli)

Shindis Shechamandi Kartli — Georgian Cornelian Cherry Soup

Meskhetian Nazuki — Georgian Spiced Sweet Bread