Ciorbă Rădăuțeană (Chicken Soup with Garlic and Sour Cream)
Local name: Ciorbă rădăuțeană
In short: A clear chicken soup from the Rădăuți region, finished with sour cream, crushed garlic and a splash of vinegar for a creamy, sharp bowl. It takes about 1 h 35 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 h 10 min
- Total
- 1 h 35 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 270 kcal
Ciorbă rădăuțeană comes from Rădăuți, a town in Bucovina in northern Romania, and it is one of the best-known chicken soups in the country. The clear broth is finished off the heat with a liaison of sour cream and egg yolk, then sharpened with crushed raw garlic and vinegar. Unlike many ciorbe it is only mildly sour: creamy, sharp with garlic and very comforting.
Instructions
- Put the chicken in a large pot and cover with the cold water. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, then add the onion, carrots, parsnip, celery root, peppercorns, bay leaf and salt.
- Simmer gently for 45 to 50 minutes, until the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) and is tender. Skim off excess fat from time to time.
- Lift out the chicken and vegetables. Strain the broth into a clean pot. Dice the carrots and parsnip, and shred the chicken, discarding skin and bones.
- Return the shredded chicken and diced vegetables to the broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Taste and adjust the salt.
- Whisk the sour cream and egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly whisk in 2 ladlefuls of hot broth, then stir this into the soup over low heat. Warm for 2 minutes without boiling.
- Stir in the crushed garlic and vinegar, a little at a time, tasting as you go. Add the parsley and serve hot.
Tips
- Add the garlic and vinegar at the very end. Cooking them dulls the sharp freshness that gives the soup its character.
- Bone-in, skin-on pieces make the best broth. If you use only breast meat, add a few chicken wings to the pot for flavor.
Questions and answers
What makes ciorbă rădăuțeană different from other chicken soups?
Its creamy, garlicky, slightly sour finish. Sour cream with egg yolk, crushed raw garlic and vinegar are stirred in at the end, and the soup has no noodles.
Can I make it ahead?
Make the broth with the chicken and vegetables up to 3 days ahead. Reheat, then add the sour cream mixture, garlic and vinegar just before serving.
Can I use leftover roast chicken?
You can, but the broth will be thinner. Simmer the carcass with the vegetables for an hour to build flavor, then add the shredded meat.
How long does it take to make Ciorbă Rădăuțeană (Chicken Soup with Garlic and Sour Cream)?
About 1 h 35 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 1 h 10 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Ciorbă Rădăuțeană (Chicken Soup with Garlic and Sour Cream)?
About 270 kcal per serving, with 25 g of protein, 6 g of carbohydrates and 16 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 270 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 25 g |
| Carbohydrates | 6 g |
| Fat | 16 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Sodium | 1800 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
