A classic and traditional Romanian soup with meatballs simmered in a flavorful vegetable broth, and some fresh herbs in the end like parsley or dill. It is served with a raw spicy pepper, crusty bread, and a few tablespoons of sour cream over the soup. In Romanian, it’s originally called “Supa cu Perisoare”.
Today I’m going to share with you an easy recipe for a meatballs soup with vegetables. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should definitely give it a try.
If you have a dilemma and don’t know what to choose between juicy meatballs and a delicious soup with vegetables, you can go with both, and make a Romanian soup with juicy meatballs. You will not go wrong.
In the traditional recipe of this Romanian Meatball Soup is also added short-grain rice to the meatballs. Because of the rice, the soup becomes more fluffy. My family prefers the variant without rice, so I usually cook the variant without rice. I would suggest you try both variants and pick the one that your family will prefer more.
When I hear the word “soup”, I always feel the warmth of home. A comfy dinner with all the family members around the table.
This soup contains so many colors that it looks like an artist worked on it day and night. The best part? It can be cooked literally in under one hour. From start to finish. And you will use only one pot for that.
This lovely soup contains a lot of vegetables. Because of that, it is very healthy and it is full of vitamins.
This recipe is very versatile, so you can use this recipe just as a starting point and modify/replace the ingredients with those that you have already in your fridge.
It is also very rich in flavor without being too heavy for your stomach.
Love Soups? Take also a look at those:
- Cauliflower Leek Potato Soup
- Creamy Soup of Leek and Celery Roots
- Vegetarian Ukrainian Borscht Soup (Beet Soup)
- Homemade Creamy Tomato Soup
Sure, this soup is oriented more for the cold days, to warm you up, but I’m pretty sure that after you will try this recipe once, you will not have the patience to eat it only in the cold period of the year.
Ready? Let’s get started!
What Ingredients you will need for the Meatballs?
- 14oz of Raw Meat
- 1 Raw Egg
- Salt & Pepper to taste
What Ingredients you will need for the Soup?
- ½ cup of Chopped Onions
- 1 cup of chopped root celery
- 1 cup of chopped carrots
- ¼ cup of parsley root
- 1 cup of chopped tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups of Diced Potatoes
- ⅓ cup of Bell pepper
- 10 cups of water
- Optionally for serving at the end: Raw chili pepper, sour cream, and chopped parsley.
How to make this Delicious Soup?
Take the minced meat, a raw egg, salt, pepper to taste, and put them into a bowl.
Mix all the ingredients well, and leave the meat to marinate for a while. In the meantime, you can chop the vegetables.
Form the meatballs and place them on a plate.
Quick Note: Keep in mind that when the meatballs will boil, they will reduce their size a little.
How to make the Best Meatball Soup?
Cut the carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes, and garlic into cubes. In addition to these vegetables, you can also use parsnips, parsley root, and celery stalks.
Next, pour oil into the pan, warm it a little, and put over all the vegetables.
Cook the vegetables for about 5-7 minutes. These should become softer. Due to this stage, the vegetables will get a more rich flavourful taste. As a result, the final soup will be tastier.
Now, add 8-10 cups of water.
Quick Note: Throughout the cooking of the soup, the water must boil gently, to get a clear soup. Otherwise, it will be cloudy and it will not look so good.
Salt to your taste and wait until the soup starts to boil, turn the heat down slowly, and let it boil for about 5 minutes.
During this period, the acidity of the tomatoes will be neutralized, and we will be able to add the potatoes. If you add the potatoes while the tomatoes are still sour, the potatoes will not soften.
After that, add the potatoes and bell peppers.
Let the soup simmer until it starts to boil again.
After the soup has boiled, start adding the meatballs one by one. If you add them before the soup starts to boil, you risk getting some decomposed meatballs.
Quick Note: Put the meatballs in the soup from as a short distance as possible to avoid hot splashes.
Boil the soup until the potatoes and meatballs are ready. This usually takes about another 20 minutes.
Traditionally, the soup is served with sour cream, chili pepper, and finely chopped greens such as parsley, but you can use a mix of dill, parsley, and green onions.
If you are not a fan of sour cream in soups, you can replace it with yogurt, or exclude it altogether.
Our delicious Romanian Soup with Meatball is ready to be served.
Short instructions for this soup:
You usually eat a tablespoon of soup and after that a bite of the spicy pepper and some crusty bread. Also, the majority of the Romanians, like to add a few tablespoons of sour cream to their soup at the table. If you’re not a big fan of sour creams in the soups, you can skip that, but if you never tried it before, give it a try.
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Answering Your Questions:
How to store the soup for longer?
You can keep the soup in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days, but if you want to keep it for a longer period, I suggest you distribute it in containers on portions and keep it in the freezer. Thus, at any time you want, you can eat a hot soup without losing its delicious taste.
What to serve near this soup?
Traditionally, the soup is served with homemade bread, croutons, or traditional Genovese focaccia, chili peppers, and a few tablespoons of sour cream.
What to use instead of meat?
Instead of meatballs, you could use vegetable dumplings or mushrooms.
Want something to drink near this recipe?
As this is a winter recipe, it is eaten more often to keep you warm in cold winters. That’s why a glass of “Tuica” or “Palinca” is often served next to it. These are a homemade variation of strong drinks like is Vodka.
What meat to use for the meatballs?
For this recipe, I used a mixture of pork and beef. But you can also use chicken, turkey, or rabbit.
If you choose to use lean meat such as chicken breast, turkey, or rabbit, keep in mind that you should add other ingredients that will keep the juices of meatballs such as bread crumbs soaked in milk, semi-prepared rice, onions, or grated zucchini.
Recipe Card:
Romanian Meatball Soup / Ciorba de Perisoare
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Meatballs:
- 1 ½ cup Ground Pork
- 1 Egg
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Ingredients for the Soup:
- ½ cup Onion Chopped
- 1 cup Root celery Chopped
- 1 cup Carrot Chopped
- ¼ cup Parsley root
- 1 cup Tomato Chopped
- 10 oz Potato Diced
- ⅓ cup Bell pepper
- 10 cups Water
Instructions
- Take the minced meat, a raw egg, salt, pepper to taste, put them into a bowl and mix well. Leave the meat to marinate as long as you prepare the vegetables for the soup.1 ½ cup Ground Pork, 1 Egg, Salt, Black Pepper
- Chop the vegetables into small cubes. After you have finished chopping the vegetables, form the meatballs and place them on a plate.½ cup Onion, 1 cup Root celery, 1 cup Carrot, ¼ cup Parsley root, 1 cup Tomato
- Take a big saucepan in which you will make your soup, pour oil into the pan, warm the oil a little bit, and put over all the vegetables. Cook the vegetables for about 5-7 minutes.
- Now, add 8-10 cups of water, salt to your taste, and wait until the soup starts to boil, turn the heat down slowly, and let it boil for about 5 minutes.10 cups Water
- Add the potatoes and bell peppers. Let the soup simmer until it starts to boil again.10 oz Potato, ⅓ cup Bell pepper
- After the soup has boiled, add one-by-one the meatballs
- Boil the soup until the potatoes and meatballs are ready. This usually takes about another 20 minutes.
- Our delicious Romanian Soup with Meatball is ready to be served.
- Traditionally, the soup is served with sour cream, chili pepper, and finely chopped greens such as parsley, but you can use a mix of dill, parsley, and green onions.
- If you are not a fan of sour cream in soups, you can replace it with yogurt, or exclude it altogether.
Quick Note
I highly recommend reading the entire recipe to find more tips and notes about this recipe. Read Full Recipe ⇑
Notes
- Keep in mind that when the meatballs will boil, they will reduce their size a little.
- Throughout the cooking of the soup, the water must boil gently, to get a clear soup. Otherwise, it will be cloudy and it will not look so good.
Pacho
Love this Romanian Meatball soup!! I love all kinds of soups, but I have never had this one before! Its perfectttt!
Sofia
I had the pleasure of trying Romanian meatball soup, and it was a revelation! The delicate meatballs, combined with a savory broth and tender vegetables, created a soup that was both comforting and delicious. It’s a recipe that showcases the culinary heritage of Romania and deserves a place on every soup lover’s table. It is super delicious!
Elena Ionescu
Supa cu perisoare, or Romanian meatball soup, is a beloved dish in our family. It’s a recipe that has been passed down through generations, and I’m grateful to keep the tradition alive in my own kitchen.
Alex
I recently tried making Romanian meatball soup, and it was a delightful experience! It’s a true comfort food that warms the soul and brings back memories of family gatherings. Highly recommended!
Maria Popescu
Romanian meatball soup, or “supa cu perisoare,” is a cherished recipe from my homeland. The tender meatballs combined with flavorful vegetables and aromatic herbs create a comforting and nourishing soup. It’s a taste of tradition and a reminder of home. This recipe holds a special place in my heart. Thank you for sharing it with others!