Romanian Meatball Soup (Ciorbă de Perișoare)

It's still soup season here in Northern California with the cooler weather we're having, despite being in the month of April. So that's why this meatball soup, also known as ciorbă de perișoare in Romania, is something you will most definitely not regret making. The flavor the meatballs give to the broth is absolutely delicious! And when you put it all together: the tender meatballs, the tasty veggies, and the tomato broth, something amazing happens!

The first step is to make your meatballs. Start by putting all of the meatball ingredients into a large bowl and mix it up well. You can really use any type of ground meat you want, but we use ground pork that my dad grinds up himself from a cut of pork shoulder. Sometimes, my mom uses a combination of ground turkey and ground pork (1 pound of each), and we really can't tell the difference.

As far as the rice, mom usually uses brown rice; occasionally she will use white rice. However, there have been instances when she used cauliflower rice and we couldn't even tell; it was just as delicious! So you could substitute cauliflower rice in this recipe and no one will know the difference. Also, most recipes have a lightly beaten egg added right at the end of the cooking, but we don't usually add it in. However, feel free to do so if you'd like.

What's great about this is that it can really be a full meal in itself because it fills you up and you don't need anything else to go along with it . . . except maybe a dollop of sour cream and a slice of good sourdough bread to top it off and, voila!

As we say in Romania: Poftă bună!

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MEATBALL SOUP (CIORBA DE PERIȘOARE)

Ingredients for the meatballs:

 • 2 pounds lean ground pork meat (or 1 pound pork, 1 pound turkey)

• 1/2 cup white rice (or 1 1/2 cup any cooked white, brown, or cauliflower rice)

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 eggs

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 tablespoons paprika

• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

Ingredients for the soup:

• 4-5 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 1 green bell pepper, diced

• 1 can (14 ounces) petite diced tomatoes

• 2 1/2 - 3 quarts chicken broth or water, plus more as needed

• 5 tablespoons paprika

• 1 tbsp basil

• 1 tbsp oregano

• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

• Salt and fresh pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add all meatball ingredients and mix to combine well. Take about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the meat mixture and form into 1-inch balls. Set aside.

2. In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, add oil and cook until hot; add onion and sauté about 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more until fragrant, then add in diced carrots, celery, bell peppers and canned tomatoes; continue to simmer on medium heat. Add the water (or broth) and and bring to a slight boil.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low then add the meatballs one at a time. Stir in paprika and seasonings and continue to simmer on low heat for 30-45 minutes until meatballs are tender and rice is cooked through. Adjust seasoning to taste. Stir in chopped fresh parsley.