← All recipes
FROM MIRA'S KITCHEN / ROMANIAN TRADITION

Ciorbă de perișoare.

This is a traditional Romanian sour soup I love to share with my family. I start with bones for a rich broth, then add tender meatballs with plenty of dill. I prefer to grind the meat myself.

Serve each bowl with sour cream and a spicy pepper on the side. It is the kind of meal that brings everyone to the table.

Serves
6
Prep
25 minutes
Cook
About 1½ hours
Make the recipe
Romanian meatball soup with vegetables, dill, sour cream, and a red hot pepper
Best shared with someone you love.
WHAT YOU NEED

Ingredients

For about 6 bowls

Broth and vegetables

  • 1–1½ lb bone-in pork or beef soup bones
  • 10 cups water
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 cup tomato juice (suc de roșii)
  • ½–1 cup borș, or lemon juice to taste
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Fresh parsley or lovage, chopped

Meatballs

  • 1 lb freshly ground pork, beef, or a mixture
  • ¼ cup uncooked white rice, rinsed
  • 1 small onion, finely grated
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • ½ teaspoon salt and a little black pepper

To serve

  • Sour cream
  • Fresh or pickled hot peppers
STEP BY STEP

Make the soup

  1. Make the bone broth

    Put the bones and water in a large pot. Bring gently to a boil and skim off any foam. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45–60 minutes, until the broth tastes rich. Remove the bones. If they have tender meat, pull it off and return the meat to the pot; discard the bones.

  2. Add the vegetables

    Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until they begin to soften.

  3. Mix the meatballs

    While the vegetables cook, combine the ground meat, rinsed rice, grated onion, egg, dill, salt, and pepper. Mix gently. With damp hands, shape into small meatballs, about 1 inch across.

  4. Cook the meatballs

    Keep the soup at a gentle simmer and lower the meatballs in one at a time. Do not stir for the first few minutes. Simmer for 20–25 minutes, until the rice is tender and the meatballs are cooked through (160°F / 71°C for ground beef or pork).

  5. Add tomato and sourness

    Pour in the tomato juice and borș. Simmer for another 5 minutes. If using lemon instead, add it a little at a time at the end. Season with salt and pepper, then add the fresh parsley or lovage.

  6. Serve

    Ladle into bowls and add a spoonful of sour cream. Offer hot peppers alongside so everyone can choose their own heat.

The bones give the broth body and gelatin as they simmer. Along with the meat and vegetables, they make a satisfying family meal.

Cook with someone you love.