Once in a while, I let my kitchen come alive with the aroma of heartwarming Romanian soups. When you uncover the secrets of beloved classics like ciorba de peste or ciorba de vacuta, you’re not just cooking; you’re making tradition come to life in your very own kitchen.
I loved exploring Romanian soup secrets and was delighted to see the familiar love for sour cream. You have to try these flavor combinations from Eastern Europe; I dare you!
10 Delicious Romanian Soups
Take out your soup pot and let’s talk about Romanian soups!
When summer rolls around and fresh vegetables are in plenty, this soup becomes a hit among Romanians. Vegetables, rice, egg and lemon juice are common ingredients for the soup.
The “sour soup” flavor comes from the lemon juice while the peas, beans and rice make it hearty and filling.
I can’t resist a hot bowl of soup with vegetables topped with sour cream but you can also serve it with cheese, nuts or even avocado.
Ciorba de perisoare features small meatballs cooked from ground pork, egg, salt and pepper. The meatballs are simmered in a tart broth with carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, bell peppers and celery root.
Hot meatball soup served with spicy pepper, crusty bread, and sour cream sounds like the ultimate Romanian comfort food. Although summer is my favorite season, I can’t wait for a cold day just to eat a bowl of this hearty soup.
This meatball soup is one of the traditional Romanian foods you need to try at least once!
With access to the Black Sea and Danube River, fish soup, or ciorba de peste, is a common delicacy in coastal and riverine regions of Romania. The soup is produced by cooking chunks of mackerel, trout, zander and pike with vegetables and egg smetana (whisked egg and sour cream).
If you like garlic, you can also make a quick garlic sauce which goes perfectly with this soup.
Beef, vegetables, and either lemon juice or borș, a popular liquid for Romanian sour soups, make for a hearty and comforting сiorba de vacuta. Root vegetables, onions, tomatoes and bell peppers are cooked with the beef.
No Romanian soup is complete without a dab of sour cream, and this beef soup is no exception. Also, don’t forget to sprinkle it with some chopped herbs.
Eggs, semolina flour dumplings, chicken stock, a few carrots and herbs make up this soup’s flavor profile. It’s perfect for a chilly day or a light dinner you can enjoy in any weather.
It’s also called supa de galusti which means “dumpling soup” in Romanian.
Chicken broth and dumplings are two of my favorite things in soups, so this Romanian soup ticks all the boxes for me.
Fresh green beans, onions, carrots, and zucchini are cooked in a fragrant broth in this soup. It incorporates borș for its signature sourness, but you can also use lemon juice or vinegar.
Served hot with sour cream and crusty bread, this ciorba de fasole verde is nothing like I’ve ever tasted before.
This delicious and nutritious Romanian soup is made with eggs and spinach which kind of reminds me of a Ukrainian green borshch with sorrel, one of the well-known Ukrainian soup recipes.
You can enjoy the many spinach benefits in your bowl of soup along with some egg protein and remarkable taste.
This traditional soup is topped with a fluffy omelet and a lemon slice—doesn’t get much better than that for a healthy and flavorful meal!
Another soup with dumplings naturally stole my heart. This Romanian chicken cauliflower soup features tender pieces of chicken, chunks of cauliflower, and soft dumplings made from flour and eggs.
Common herbs used to season the broth include dill and parsley, and it has a sour undertone added with a touch of lemon juice.
Ciorba Radauteana is a Radauti-style Romanian soup. It’s made with chicken or beef, carrots, celery, onions, and bell pepper.
This soup is dressed with sour cream, garlic, egg yolk, and salt adding a lot of richness and creamy texture. It also includes a splash of white wine vinegar for that iconic sour taste that most Romanian soups possess.
Romanian ciorba de miel is a tasty soup cooked with lamb, vegetables, borș and rice. Similar to the Radauti soup, the dressing for this Romanian recipe is a sour cream and egg mixture.
A hot soup like this pairs beautifully with crusty bread.
Looking for more Romanian recipes to try? Here are my suggestions. Try some delicious snacks from Romania paired with authentic Romanian beverages. There you’ll find more info about borș, a key ingredient in many Romanian soups.
And if you’re looking for a dessert after your soup, don’t forget to try some Romanian sweet treats like papanasi or cozonac.