Soups📍 All of RomaniaEasy🌾 Gluten-free🥩 Low-carb / Keto💪 High-protein

Smoked Meat Sour Soup

Name: Smoked Meat Sour Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Romanian
Ingredients: 700 g smoked pork ribs or smoked knuckle; 2 medium carrots, sliced into rounds; 1 small parsnip, diced; 1 parsley root; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 celery stalks with leaves; 3 medium potatoes, cut into large cubes; 2 L cold water; 1 bay leaf; a few whole black peppercorns; salt to taste; 500 ml fermented bran juice (borș) or sauerkraut brine; 2 egg yolks; 150 ml full-fat sour cream; 1 bunch fresh or dried lovage; 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

Ciorbă de afumătură is a hearty and aromatic sour soup made from smoked pork ribs or knuckle simmered with root vegetables and soured with fermented bran juice (borș) or sauerkraut brine. It is a rustic, nourishing dish typical of traditional Romanian cold-season cooking.

🍽️

Servings

⏱️

Prep

20 min

🔥

Cook

70 min

⏰

Total

90 min

🥘Ingredients

servings

Soup base

For souring

Dressing / Finishing

📝Preparation steps 🗓️Add to Meal Planner🎨Serving & Presentation

✅Dietary Compatibility

🌾Gluten-free🥩Low-carb / Keto💪High-protein

🍽️

Yield

approx. 2.5 L soup

📦Storage

❄️

Refrigerator

Up to 3 days in a sealed container; reheat gently without boiling

🧊

Freezer

Without sour cream dressing — can be frozen up to 2 months; add fresh dressing when reheating

🥗Nutrition Facts

Values per serving (approx. 400 ml)

🔥

Calories

310 kcal

🥩

Protein

18 g

🧈

Fat

18 g

🍞

Carbohydrates

20 g

🌾

Fiber

3 g

🍷Pairs Well With

🥂Full-fat sour cream

🥂Country bread or warm polenta

🥂Pickled hot peppers

🥂Dry white wine or rosé

💡Variations

Add sliced smoked sausage alongside the ribs for an even richer flavor.

Replace the sour cream dressing with full-fat yogurt for a lighter version.

Add 100 g of rice in the last 20 minutes for a heartier soup.