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Romanian Meatball Soup: Ciorbă de Perișoare
4.9 from 144 votes

Romanian Meatball Soup: Ciorbă de Perișoare

Ciorbă de Perișoare is a Romanian sour meatball soup featuring a vegetable broth enriched with tomatoes, carrots, root vegetables, bell pepper, and sautéed onions. The seasoned ground beef-pork meatballs with semolina add hearty texture, while a finishing mix of egg yolks, sour cream, and tarragon vinegar adds creaminess and a tangy herbal note. Fresh parsley garnishes the soup, enhancing its aroma and color.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Romanian

Ingredients

For the soup:
  • 2 tomato or 7-8 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 white onion large
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 2-3 carrot
  • 1 parsley root
  • 1 celery root
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 3 liters water
  • salt to taste
For the meatballs:
  • 500 g ground beef in equal amounts
  • 500 g ground pork in equal amounts
  • 50 g semolina
  • 1 onion finely chopped, small
  • 2 egg small
  • 1 teaspoon salt
For the finishing mix:
  • 2 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 2-3 tablespoons tarragon chopped, in vinegar
For serving:
  • parsley fresh leaves

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Peel and chop all the vegetables.
  2. Heat the sunflower oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the chopped onion until softened.
  3. Add the remaining chopped vegetables and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
  4. Pour in the water, add salt to taste, and stir in the chopped tomatoes.
  5. Cover the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes, while we prepared the meatballs.
For the meatballs:
  1. In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, semolina, chopped onion, eggs, and salt. Mix well until fully combined.
  2. Using your hands, form small, round meatballs.
Add Meatballs to the Soup:
  1. After the soup has simmered for 20 minutes, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
  2. Carefully add the meatballs to the soup, one at a time.
  3. Let them cook for about 15 minutes until fully cooked through.
Finishing the Soup:
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sour cream, and chopped tarragon in vinegar.
  2. Gradually ladle a few tablespoons of hot soup into the mixture to temper it, whisking constantly.
  3. Slowly stir the tempered mixture back into the soup.
  4. Add freshly chopped parsley leaves and adjust the seasoning with more salt, if needed.
  5. Serve hot, optionally accompanied by crusty bread for dipping.

Notes