A
while ago, I told you about Romanians’ fascination with soup; that for
us soup is an everyday affair regardless of season, and that we treat it with
the utmost respect. It’s so true! What I omitted back then was that we have two
types of soups in Romania, and that we make a clear distinction between
them. First, we have the clear soup filled
with dumplings, homemade noodles or pasta.
Second, we have the sour soup, also known in Romanian as ciorbă, which is, as the name suggests,
sour and tart thanks to the various souring agents used to flavor it such as
lemon juice, vinegar or even sauerkraut juice.
While
home this time around, I was indisputably on a soup diet. It wasn’t a diet per se; it was just the
regular everyday Romanian custom of indulging in a bowl of soup before the main
course. And I didn’t mind it; not even a
bit. I can’t really decide whether I
prefer the clear soup or the sour soup; they’re quite different and each unique
and delicious in its own and delightful way.
I’ve
already shared with you grandma Vicki’s classic Chicken Ciorbă; a staple
in our family and easily adaptable according to occasion. You’ll see this sour soup made with pork
for New Year’s, or with lamb for Easter, or with chicken for an
uneventful Sunday lunch. This Vegetable Sour Soup (Vegetable Ciorbă)
sprung up from my experimenting with the classic only to come up with something
cleaner and less sophisticated, yet still packed with flavor.
For
me, this Vegetable Sour Soup (Vegetable
Ciorbă) is one of those go-to soups or
whenever-I-want-something-more-besides-the-main-course kind of soup. I love that it’s a cinch to make; it’s light,
refreshing, colorful and loaded with vegetables. It doesn’t have meat but the tiny pasta acts
like the meaty element of the dish, while the splash of vinegar spurs your
taste buds. A few sprinkles of fresh
parsley are highly recommended but not mandatory. As you can clearly see from the pictures, I
didn’t use any parsley this time, but I’ll make sure to add it to my next pot
of soup for that extra kick of freshness.
With or without parsley, this vegetable sour soup is simple and perfect
to welcome spring!
Vegetable Sour Soup (Vegetable Ciorbă)
By Simply Romanesco inspired by my Grandma Vicki
By Simply Romanesco inspired by my Grandma Vicki
Makes:
8-10 servings
Ingredients:
·
3 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
·
4-5 carrots peeled and chopped
·
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
·
1 red pepper, chopped
·
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
·
1 cup small pasta such as ditalini
·
Salt and pepper
·
1-2 Tablespoons white vinegar
·
Optional: a small bunch of fresh parsley,
chopped
Instructions:
In a
large pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the carrots, onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook together for about 5 minutes adding a
bit of water so that the vegetables don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the red pepper. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the can of tomatoes and mix well. Cook everything together for 3 minutes
stirring occasionally. Add water to fill
up the pan. Season with salt. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 25-30
minutes.
In
the meantime, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Drizzle a Tablespoon of oil. Add the pasta and cook according to the
directions on the package. Drain well
and keep close at hand.
When
the vegetables are cooked, season with salt to taste, and add the vinegar and
bring back to a boil for 2 minutes. Turn
the heat off, add the pasta and stir well.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley on top.
Note: Let the soup cool completely before you put
it in the fridge.
