Ciorbe are the sour soups loved in Moldova and Romania. They are made from meat, fish, offal or vegetables, but the most popular is ciorbă de perișoare, the soup with meatballs. It is simple, light and yet filling. The rice in the meatballs makes them soft, the herbs give freshness, and the sourness keeps the dish from feeling heavy.

What makes ciorbă ciorbă

The main feature of ciorbă is its sour taste. It comes from borș, lemon juice or sauerkraut brine. The acid is added right at the end so that it keeps its freshness. Taste the soup and sour it little by little: it should be tangy but not lemony.

The second feature is the herbs. A lot of parsley and dill goes into the finished ciorbă and, for those who have it, lovage. Without it the soup loses its aroma.

The meatballs: how to roll tender balls

The classic filling has mince, onion, raw rice, egg and herbs. The rice is raw: it swells inside the ball and makes it soft. The egg binds and the onion adds juice.

Knead the mince well by hand for three or four minutes until it turns sticky. Wet your hands so that it does not stick. Roll the balls the size of a walnut: large ones will not heat through and small ones fall apart.

The mince can be bought ready or made from pork neck. Here is what the catalogues have now in meat:

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The vegetables and the broth

Water is enough for the broth: the meatballs give the flavour themselves. Cut the vegetables into cubes of the same size so that they cook at the same time. The onion and carrot can first be fried with tomato paste: the soup comes out golden and rich. For a light, clear version the vegetables go in raw.

Potatoes go in after the vegetables have cooked for ten minutes, so they do not fall apart. See potato prices on our page about potatoes.

How to cook so the meatballs hold together

The broth must be boiling when you add the balls: then the protein sets at once and they keep their shape. After that turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Do not stir with a spoon for the first ten minutes, rather shake the pot gently. If needed, steady the balls with the spoon.

The meatballs cook about twenty-five minutes. When ready they float, and the rice inside is soft.

Serving

Ciorbă is served hot, sprinkled with herbs. Sour cream, hot pepper and fresh bread are put on the table. The sour cream softens the tang and makes the soup gentler. Leftover ciorbă is better kept without the sour cream.

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On the second day and for a festive table

On the second day the ciorbă thickens, because the rice soaks up the broth. Add hot water, heat it and sour it a little more: the taste comes back. Fresh bread, a slice of cheese and a pickled pepper go well with ciorbă. In Moldova it is eaten both at lunch and at dinner, and for a celebration it is cooked in a big cauldron with smaller meatballs that fit on a spoon. If there are several dishes on the table, the ciorbă goes first: the sourness wakes the appetite.

Variations and savings

Ciorbă can be made with chicken, turkey or even without meat, with vegetables and rice. The mince can be stretched with rice or soaked bread: you get more balls. Buy herbs by the bunch and freeze them in a box. A kilo of vegetables and a small portion of mince make a big pot of soup for several days.