Romanian Style Beef Soup (Ciorbă de Văcuță)

Romanian Beef Soup, known as Ciorbă de Văcuță, is a deeply comforting, sour-savory soup made with tender beef, root vegetables, fresh herbs, and a characteristic tang that defines Romanian cuisine. Traditionally served year-round and enjoyed as a complete meal, this soup is nourishing, aromatic, and deeply satisfying. This version stays true to the soul of the original while adapting it to be lectin-free, using simple ingredients, homemade bone broth, and natural souring agents for a rich, balanced flavor that feels both traditional and modern.

They say you can take the girl out of Romania, but you can’t take Romania out of the girl — and I fully agree. One of Romania’s most iconic culinary habits, at least in my opinion, is eating soup at almost every meal except breakfast (although some people even do that — my dad used to).

Soup is one of the foods I miss the most, and for a while now I’ve wanted to make a Romanian-style soup. After talking with my sister about Romanian food, I felt inspired to finally make a lectin-free version of the traditional Romanian beef soup — Ciorbă de Văcuță.

Soup, Romanian Soul Food

I chose Romanian beef soup mainly because I had a jar of beef bone stock waiting in my freezer. My fridge was almost empty, so I headed to the store and picked up carrots, parsnip, yellow onion, celery root (with leaves — a lucky find), parsley, one Japanese sweet potato (purple skin with white flesh), fresh sauerkraut from Barrel Creek Provisions, and broccoli.

I didn’t want to use the steak I already had in the freezer, so I asked the butcher for advice and bought a piece of grass-fed beef instead. He recommended a loin tri-tip roast, which turned out to be perfect — it cooked relatively quickly and stayed beautifully tender.

How to Make Traditional Romanian Beef Soup (with a Twist)

Romanian soups vary widely depending on region — and even from one household to another. This soup is traditionally made with peas and green beans, and some versions include red peppers and tomatoes added toward the end. Since those are lectin-rich, I skipped them altogether.

Broccoli makes a great replacement for peas, and in my opinion, green beans, tomatoes, and peppers aren’t essential to achieving a delicious, satisfying soup. The rest of the ingredients, however, are pretty much non-negotiable. Don’t skip the bones — or a good bone broth — because that’s what gives this soup its depth and richness.

You’ll notice there aren’t many spices here. Romanian soups rely on fragrant root vegetables and fresh herbs for flavor, and they truly don’t need much else. I didn’t even feel the need to add pepper, although you absolutely can if you like.

Sauerkraut, Sour Cream, and Eggs

Sauerkraut isn’t traditionally added to this soup, although some recipes use sauerkraut juice. Since we’re not using tomatoes, though, we need another sour element — and sauerkraut works beautifully.

The sauerkraut from Barrel Creek Provisions tastes the closest to the Romanian version I grew up with, which is why I chose it. They’re still a small business based in Austin, Texas, so if you can’t find it, simply choose the best quality sauerkraut available to you.

Sour cream and egg are optional, but I love finishing soups this way. Some people skip them entirely, while others go all in — using several egg yolks and much more sour cream. I used one yolk and about four tablespoons of sour cream, but honestly, go with what feels right to you. My husband always adds extra sour cream at the table. I like it just the way it is.

More Romanian Soups

If you enjoy this Romanian beef soup, be sure to try my Romanian Meatball Soup, in a Pressure Cooker (Low-Lectin) and Romanian Chicken Soup (Ciorba Radauteana).

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