Kespe is the daily Kazakh comfort soup, a clear meat-broth noodle soup with homemade flat noodles (kespe), vegetables and chunks of meat. It is distinct from sorpa (which is broth-only, the liquid accompaniment to beshbarmak) in adding the handmade dough noodles that give it body and make it a meal. It is a staple of the Kazakh everyday table, eaten across the country, and the handmade noodle technique reflects the Turkic steppe tradition.
A clear, deeply savoury, meaty broth with tender flat noodles, soft potato and carrot, chunks of meat, a sprinkle of fresh herbs. Eaten in deep bowls, it is restorative, homely and the everyday soup of the Kazakh table.
The broth is a clear meat stock (lamb or beef, simmered long and skimmed), the foundation. The noodles are handmade from a simple flour, egg and water dough, rolled thin and cut into flat strips, which are boiled directly in the broth. The vegetables (potato, carrot, onion) are added for substance. The handmade noodles, cooked in the broth, give the soup its body and distinguish it from sorpa.
Variations
A richer version adds kazy slices. Some use horse meat in the broth.
On the Palate
Where Kespe sits in the Kazakh flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
6 steps · 20 min
- 110 min
Simmer 400g bone-in lamb or beef with 1 onion and 1.5 litres water 45 minutes, skimming; reserve the meat.
Watch outSkim the foam off the stock as it simmers — leave it and the broth turns cloudy instead of clear, which is the point of the soup.
- 28 min
Knead 200g flour, 1 egg, a pinch of salt and 80ml water to a firm dough; rest 20 minutes.
- 36 min
Roll the dough thin; cut into 2cm-wide flat noodles.
- 48 min
Add 2 diced potatoes and 1 diced carrot to the broth; simmer 10 minutes.
- 55 min
Drop the noodles into the boiling broth; cook 5 minutes until tender.
Watch outDrop the fresh noodles into boiling broth and cook just till tender — a few minutes too long and they go slack and cloud the broth.
- 64 min
Ladle into bowls with meat, noodles and vegetables; top with dill and parsley.
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