Ciorbă de Legume

Name: Ciorbă de Legume
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Romanian
Ingredients: 2 carrots, diced; 2 potatoes, diced; 1 celery root, diced; 1 parsnip, diced; 1 bell pepper, diced; 2 tomatoes, diced; 1 onion, diced; 200ml borș (fermented wheat bran) or lemon juice; 2L water; Fresh lovage, chopped; Salt, pepper

Ciorbă de Legume (CHOR-buh deh leh-GOO-meh)

Sour Vegetable Soup

⏱ Prep Time 15 min

📈 Difficulty Easy

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 131 kcal

A vibrant, tangy soup packed with seasonal vegetables and sharpened with fermented wheat bran liquid, fragrant with lovage.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 4.0g

Carbs 22.0g

Fat 3.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

vegetarian nut-free

Equipment Needed

large pot ladle cutting board

Presentation Guide

Vessel: ceramic bowl

Garnishes: lovage, sour cream

Accompaniments: bread

Ingredients

2 carrots, diced
2 potatoes, diced
1 celery root, diced
1 parsnip, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
200ml borș (fermented wheat bran) or lemon juice
2L water
Fresh lovage, chopped
Salt, pepper

Instructions

1
Bring water to a boil. Add carrots, celery root, parsnip, and potatoes. Simmer 15 min.
2
Add onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Cook another 10 min until all vegetables are tender.
3
Add borș or lemon juice and bring back to a brief simmer. Taste and adjust sourness.
4
Season with salt and pepper. Add generous fresh lovage.
5
Rest 10 min off heat to let flavors meld.
6
Serve hot with sour cream on the side.

💡

Did You Know?

Borș, the fermented wheat bran liquid used to sour Romanian soups, takes three days to prepare and gives ciorbă its uniquely complex tang.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

large pot
ladle
cutting board

Garnishing

lovage, sour cream

Accompaniments

bread

The Story Behind Ciorbă de Legume

Ciorbă de legume embodies Romania's sour soup tradition, where the sourness from borș transforms simple vegetables into a deeply flavored first course. The word "ciorbă" itself comes from the Turkish "çorba," but the souring technique is distinctly Romanian.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed lunch 📜 Origins: Traditional, centuries old

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