Romanian Meatball Sour Soup (Ciorba de Perisoare)

Honestly to-die-for soup. Romanians from Transylvania have a saying: 'asa'i de buna, ca-ti vine sa-ti bati copiii cu lantul ud, sa-i sui in pod si sa le furi scara' (so good, you feel like you want to tie up your kids, stick them in the attic, and steal the ladder). Not that the Transylvanians will do anything like that... Serve in bowls topped with extra sour cream.

• Preparation Time: 35 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins
• Calories: 242 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 lemon, juiced
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 red onion, chopped
• ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• 3 quarts water
• 1 pinch dried dill weed
• 3 carrots, grated
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• ½ (8 ounce) carton sour cream
• 1 tablespoon oil, or to taste
• 3 stalks celery, halved
• 1 parsley root, grated
• ¼ cup rinsed medium-grain rice
• 1 teaspoon lovage leaves
• 1 teaspoon garlic and herb seasoning blend (such as Mrs. Dash®)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat oil in a 6-quart pot over medium heat. Add carrots, red bell pepper, 1 red onion, and parsley root; cook and stir until slightly softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour in water. Add tomatoes and celery. Simmer until flavors combine, about 30 minutes.

Step 2

Mix ground beef, 1/2 onion, egg whites, rice, flour, 1 pinch dill, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Wet your palms with water and roll spoonfuls of the beef mixture into meatballs.

Step 3

Drop meatballs carefully into the pot. Cook until no longer pink in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Stir in lovage, garlic herb seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon dill, and parsley. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice.

Step 4

Mix sour cream and egg yolks together in a small bowl. Stir into the soup. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.