Romanian Meatball Soup (Ciorbă de Perișoare)

Romanian meatball soup, known as ciorbă de perișoare, is a comforting traditional dish made with tender pork meatballs, plenty of vegetables, and a savory broth finished with a pleasantly sour note. This pressure-cooker version preserves the familiar flavors of the soup I grew up eating while making the preparation more convenient. Serve it with fresh lovage or parsley and, if you like, a spoonful of sour cream.

Romanian Meatball Soup, or Ciorbă de Perișoare

A bowl of my mom’s ciorbă de perișoare always takes me back to my childhood. It is one of the dishes we traditionally request whenever we return home to Romania, and it remains one of my favorite examples of Romanian comfort food.

Although ciorbă is usually translated into English as “soup,” the two words don’t mean quite the same thing in Romanian cuisine. A ciorbă has a distinct sour element, while what Romanians call supă usually has a milder, sweeter broth.

The traditional souring agent is Romanian borș — a fermented liquid usually made from wheat bran — but the soup can also be finished with sauerkraut juice, lemon juice, or vinegar. The amount depends entirely on how sour you like your ciorbă.

Adapting the Soup for a Lower-Lectin Diet

Traditional Romanian soups often contain nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes. I tried making this soup without them, and although it was still good, it didn’t have quite the same familiar flavor.

For this version, I peel and deseed the tomato and red pepper before adding them to the soup, then cook everything under pressure. These preparation methods may reduce some of the lectin content, although they do not make nightshades suitable for everyone. If you are particularly sensitive to nightshades, this may not be the right recipe for you. The potatoes are optional and can easily be left out.

How to Make Romanian Meatball Soup in a Pressure Cooker

Prepare the vegetables: Peel and deseed the tomato and red bell pepper. Dice the carrot, parsnip, celeriac, tomato, pepper, and optional potatoes into relatively even pieces. Slice the leek and chop the onion and celery ribs, including the leaves.

Start the vegetable broth: Add 3 liters of water and all the prepared vegetables to the pressure cooker or Instant Pot. With the cooker uncovered, use a high-heat or sauté setting to bring the broth to a boil. Do not secure the pressure-cooker lid yet.

Make the meatballs: While the broth is heating, combine the ground pork, grated or finely chopped onion, egg, optional rice, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Shape the mixture into compact meatballs small enough to fit comfortably on a serving spoon. Try to form them without cracks or large pockets of air so they hold together during cooking.

Add the meatballs to the soup: Once the vegetable broth is boiling, gently lower the meatballs into the pot one at a time. Season lightly with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that you can adjust the seasoning after pressure cooking.

Pressure-cook the soup: Secure the lid and cook under pressure for 40 minutes. Release the pressure according to your appliance’s safety instructions before opening the lid. I would normally not cook a soup like this for so long, but this is the timing my mom uses, and her soup is always perfect.

Add the souring agent: Add Romanian borș, sauerkraut juice, lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar to taste. Start with a small amount, taste, and continue adding it until the broth is as sour as you like. Taste again and adjust the salt and pepper. Stir in freshly chopped lovage, parsley, or a combination of both.

How to Serve Ciorbă de Perișoare

Ladle the soup into bowls, making sure each serving includes a generous mixture of meatballs, vegetables, and broth. Finish with more fresh lovage or parsley and serve sour cream on the side.

As with many Romanian soups, ciorbă de perișoare often tastes even better the following day, once the flavors have had time to settle and develop.

For other lectin-free Romanian soups, check out my Romanian Style Beef Soup (Ciorbă de Văcuță) and Romanian Chicken Soup (Ciorba Radauteana).

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