Romanian Meatball Soup (Ciorba de Perisoare)

User Reviews

4.7

273 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    20 mins

  • Cook Time

    20 mins

  • Total Time

    1 hr 5 mins

  • Servings

    8

  • Calories

    258 kcal

  • Course

    Soup, Dinner

  • Cuisine

    Romanian

Romanian Meatball Soup (Ciorba de Perisoare)

This Romanian Meatball Soup (Ciorba de Perisoare) is my mom's recipe for the most delicious meatball soup out there. Just saying. 

I Made This!

204 people made this

Save this

163 people saved this

Ingredients

Servings

For Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground pork or ground beef
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons Dill chopped
  • 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
  • ¼ cup rice long grain and uncooked
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste

For Soup

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 2 large carrots chopped
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 cups chicken broth low sodium
  • 4 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon Vegeta or 1 chicken bouillon
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • 2 tablespoons lovage chopped
  • 1 egg beaten
  • parsley for garnish
Add to Shopping List

Instructions

  1. In a bowl add all the meatball ingredients together and mix well. Shape into meatballs about 1 inch in diameter. You should get about 18 to 24 meatballs, depending on how big you make them. Place meatballs in fridge until ready to add to soup.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottom 5 qt pot to medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions soften and are translucent.
  3. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil then add the meatballs one at a time.
  4. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through, they will rise to the top when they are done. Season with vegeta then add the lemon juice and lovage. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as necessary.
  5. Very slowly pour in the egg in a steady stream. To make shreds, stir the egg rapidly in a clockwise direction for one minute. Cook for another minute then garnish with parsley.
  6. Serve hot with a bit of sour cream.
Equipments used:

Notes

  • You must wait until the meatballs float to the top of the soup before you add the egg. This is how you know that they are fully cooked and done.
  • Drizzle the egg into the soup while stirring. If you don’t you will just end up with blobs of cooked egg, which is still yummy but not what we are going for here.
  • Taste at the very end and then add salt only if needed. Soup reduces as it simmers, so adding salt too early can result in really salty soup.
  • Vegeta is a condiment of salt with flavor enhancers used a lot in soups. It's a condiment that's quite popular in Eastern Europe.
  • Lovage is a herb belonging to the parsley family, commonly used in Europe for flavoring foods. The leaves add an intense celery-like flavor to soups, stews or stocks. If you do not have it, simply omit it in the recipe.
  • Wait till they float. You must wait until the meatballs float to the top of the soup before you add the egg. This is how you know that they are fully cooked and done.
  • Slowly add the egg. Drizzle the egg into the soup while stirring. If you don’t you will just end up with blobs of cooked egg, which is still yummy but not what we are going for here.
  • Season before serving. Taste at the very end and then add salt only if needed. Soup reduces as it simmers, so adding salt too early can result in really salty soup.
  • In an airtight container this dish will keep for 3 - 4 days in the fridge, just be sure it is cooled before storing. You can also freeze this dish, just store it cooled in a shallow airtight container and it will keep for 4 - 6 months. Just allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stove when ready to eat.

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Serving 1serving Calories 258kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 12g (4%) Protein 13g (26%) Fat 17g (26%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Cholesterol 81mg (27%) Sodium 853mg (36%) Potassium 453mg (13%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 3355IU (67%) Vitamin C 17mg (19%) Calcium 51mg (5%) Iron 1.5mg (8%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 258 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 258kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 12g 4%
Protein 13g 26%
Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 81mg 27%
Sodium 853mg 36%
Potassium 453mg 10%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 3355IU 67%
Vitamin C 17mg 19%
Calcium 51mg 5%
Iron 1.5mg 8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Genuine Reviews

User Reviews

Overall Rating

4.7

273 reviews
Excellent

Write a Review

Drag & drop files here or click to upload
Other Recipes

You'll Also Love

Tripe Soup (Ciorba de Burta)

Romanian
4.7 (132 reviews)

Romanian Bacon Soup

Romanian
4.9 (21 reviews)

Romanian Spinach Soup with Eggs

Romanian
5.0 (6 reviews)

Romanian Lamb Soup with Sorrel

International, Romanian
4.9 (306 reviews)

Mititei (Romanian Street Food)

Romanian
4.7 (81 reviews)

Romanian Cabbage Rolls (Sarmale)

Romanian
4.7 (741 reviews)

Romanian meatballs (Chiftele)

Romanian
4.7 (204 reviews)

Romanian Potato Salad

Romanian
4.9 (27 reviews)

Romanian Stuffed Peppers (Ardei Umpluti)

Romanian
4.7 (228 reviews)

Vegetable Meatball Soup

Romanian
5.0 (3 reviews)

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

American, Romanian
4.6 (270 reviews)