Ciorba de Perisoare

Name: Ciorba de Perisoare
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Moldovan
Ingredients: 400g ground beef; 1 egg; 50g rice; 1 onion, grated; 2 carrots, diced; 1 parsnip, diced; 1 celery root, diced; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 400ml bors (fermented wheat bran liquid); 2 tomatoes, chopped; Fresh lovage; Fresh parsley; Salt and black pepper; 2 liters water; 1 tbsp sunflower oil

Ciorbă de perișoare (CHOR-bah deh peh-ree-SHOH-ah-reh)

Meatball Sour Soup

⏱ Prep Time 1 hour 15 min

📈 Difficulty Medium

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 328 kcal

A tangy, aromatic soup filled with tender beef meatballs, root vegetables, and herbs, soured with fermented wheat bran liquid known as bors.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 24.0g

Carbs 22.0g

Fat 16.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

dairy-free

Allergen Warnings

⚠ gluten ⚠ eggs

Equipment Needed

stockpot mixing bowl ladle

Presentation Guide

Vessel: deep soup bowl

Garnishes: sour cream dollop, fresh lovage

Accompaniments: crusty bread, hot peppers

Ingredients

400g ground beef
1 egg
50g rice
1 onion, grated
2 carrots, diced
1 parsnip, diced
1 celery root, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
400ml bors (fermented wheat bran liquid)
2 tomatoes, chopped
Fresh lovage
Fresh parsley
Salt and black pepper
2 liters water
1 tbsp sunflower oil

Instructions

1
Mix ground beef with egg, rice, half the grated onion, salt, and pepper. Form into walnut-sized meatballs.
2
Bring water to a boil with remaining onion. Add carrots, parsnip, celery root, and bell pepper. Simmer ten minutes.
3
Gently drop meatballs one by one into the simmering broth. Cook for fifteen minutes without stirring to keep them intact.
4
Add chopped tomatoes and continue cooking for another ten minutes until meatballs are cooked through.
5
Heat the bors separately until warm but not boiling, then add to the soup. This provides the signature sour tang.
6
Add lovage and parsley, adjust seasoning. Let the soup rest five minutes off heat before serving. Serve with sour cream.

💡

Did You Know?

The bors used in Moldovan soups is made by fermenting wheat bran with water for several days, and every household traditionally keeps a jar fermenting on the kitchen counter.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

stockpot
mixing bowl
ladle

Garnishing

sour cream dollop, fresh lovage

Accompaniments

crusty bread, hot peppers

The Story Behind Ciorba de Perisoare

Ciorba de perisoare is one of the great soups of Moldovan cuisine, embodying the culture's deep tradition of sour soups. The use of bors, a fermented wheat bran liquid, as a souring agent predates the use of vinegar or lemon in Moldovan cooking. This soup appears on dinner tables across the country almost daily and is considered essential comfort food. The combination of tender meatballs with tangy broth and aromatic lovage creates a flavor profile unique to the region.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed lunch, daily staple 📜 Origins: Traditional Moldovan

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