Traditional Ciorbă de Perișoare: Romanian Sour Soup with Pork Meatballs
Ciorbă de perișoare is a Romanian vegetable soup soured with borș and finished with lovage, with small pork meatballs containing only sparse embedded grains of rice. Each perișoară must have a smooth minced-pork surface and read visually as at least 90% meat, never as a rice-coated ball or rice ball. The carrot and pepper belong only in the soup base.
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Illustrated cooking guide
Step-by-step visual method
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Written method
Instructions
Read through once, then cook at your own pace with the illustrated guide above.
- 1
Soften half the onion with the carrot, pepper and parsley root in the sunflower oil. Add the stock and simmer 15 minutes to establish the vegetable broth.
- 2
Mix the pork with the small quantity of rinsed rice, remaining raw onion, egg, thyme, salt and pepper. With wet hands form small walnut-size perișoare with smooth minced-pork surfaces; the cut and exterior must read as at least 90% meat, with only rare rice grains embedded inside and none coating the surface. Do not mix the soup vegetables into them.
- 3
Keep the broth at a gentle simmer and lower in the meatballs one by one. Simmer 25-30 minutes until the pork and rice are cooked, without stirring hard enough to break them.
- 4
Boil the borș separately for 5 minutes, then add it gradually to the soup until pleasantly sour. If borș is unavailable, season with lemon juice only at the end.
- 5
Adjust salt and pepper, remove from the heat and stir in the lovage and parsley. Serve a vegetable-flecked sour broth with several intact small meatballs in every bowl.
Cook notes
Tips
Sauté the carrot, pepper and parsley root only for the soup base; never add those diced vegetables to the meatball mixture.
Make sure to rinse the rice well to remove excess starch, as this will help prevent the meatballs from becoming too sticky.
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Helpful notes
Practical storage, serving, swap, and troubleshooting notes for a better first try.
Storage Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months; reheat gently before serving.
Substitutions
- Omit the rice if necessary rather than replacing it with a conspicuous grain.
- If red pepper is unavailable, omit it and retain the carrot and parsley-root soup base.
What to Serve With
- Crusty bread
- Fresh arugula salad
- Polenta
Common Mistakes
- Not rinsing the rice thoroughly can lead to overly sticky meatballs.
- Boiling the meatballs too vigorously can cause them to break apart.
Recipe FAQ
Can I use beef instead of pork for the meatballs?
Yes, you can substitute ground beef for the pork if you prefer.
How can I increase the sourness of the soup?
Add more separately boiled borș to taste, or a little lemon juice if borș is unavailable.
Is there an alternative to rice in the meatballs?
Rice is characteristic here. If it must be omitted, make plain pork meatballs rather than substituting a conspicuous grain that changes their texture and appearance.
Kitchen tools
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
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Rice cooker
Good for steady rice, grains, and meal-prep bowls.
Blender
Helpful for smooth sauces, soups, marinades, and purees.
Saucepan
Useful for simmering sauces, soups, grains, and small-batch stews.
Skillet
Useful for browning, quick sautes, and weeknight one-pan cooking.
Chef knife
A basic prep tool for vegetables, herbs, aromatics, and proteins.
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