A good pot of ciorbă de perișoare has two things going for it: tender meatballs that stay together and a broth with enough gentle sourness to keep each spoonful lively. This version serves six, with 25 minutes of preparation and about 50 minutes of cooking.
Gather the ingredients
For the meatballs, set out 450 g ground pork, 50 g short-grain rice, 1 small finely chopped onion, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, and salt and black pepper. For the soup, you’ll need 1 tablespoon oil, 1 diced onion, 2 diced carrots, 1 diced parsnip, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2.2 liters water or unsalted stock, and 150 ml bors, added to taste; lemon juice can stand in for the bors. Keep extra parsley nearby for serving.
Shape and simmer gently
Rinse the rice for the meatballs, then mix it with the pork, chopped onion, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper. Roll the mixture into small balls with damp hands. In a soup pot, soften the diced onion, carrots, and parsnip in the oil for about five minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and water or stock.
Finish the broth
Bring the pot to a gentle boil, lower in the meatballs one at a time, and reduce the heat so the liquid simmers rather than churns. Cook for about 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the rice is tender. Stir in the bors a little at a time, taste for salt and sourness, and simmer for five more minutes; serve with chopped parsley.