A Romanian sour soup built on a clear beef-bone broth, tender ribbons of tripe, garlic and vinegar, finished with a smooth sour-cream and egg-yolk liaison.
Romanian ciorbă de burtăCiorbă de burtă is a Romanian sour soup whose character comes from the contrast between a savory beef broth, tender tripe, garlic, vinegar and a creamy egg-yolk liaison.
Ciorbă de burtă is recognized by its pale, creamy broth and the ribbons of beef tripe suspended in it. The name is direct: burtă means tripe, while ciorbă refers to a family of sour soups. Recipes and serving habits differ from household to household, especially in how much garlic, vinegar and sour cream are added.
This version starts with beef soup bones and water rather than relying on a stock cube. A slow, quiet simmer gives the liquid time to take on a rounded beef flavor. The bones are simmered first; onion and root vegetables go in later so they season the stock without turning to pulp. Straining before the tripe is added keeps the finished soup smooth and easy to eat.
Ready-to-cook, fully cooked beef tripe makes the method practical for a home kitchen. It is drained, cut into narrow ribbons and warmed in the strained broth. The recipe does not treat raw tripe as a simple swap: raw product needs a separate cleaning and cooking process, and its timing cannot be inferred from the shorter finishing stage here.
The sour-cream and egg-yolk mixture is a liaison, a gentle thickener that gives the broth its familiar creamy body. Whisking hot broth into the mixture gradually warms the eggs before they return to the pot. Once combined, steady stirring and a thermometer help bring the soup to 71°C without boiling it. A rolling boil can split the dairy and turn the eggs grainy.
Garlic and white-wine vinegar provide the soup’s bright counterpoint. Their amounts are kept moderate in the pot so the beef remains noticeable; more can be offered at the table. This is useful because vinegar brands vary in sharpness, sour cream varies in acidity, and many diners prefer to tune the final bowl themselves.
The root vegetables serve the broth and are strained out rather than treated as pieces in the finished bowl. The tripe remains the main solid ingredient. Cutting it into even ribbons helps each spoonful feel consistent and prevents long pieces from being awkward to eat.
Serve the soup hot in warmed bowls, with extra vinegar or garlic available if desired. A common accompaniment is bread, which is not included in the recipe quantities. Keep any garnish simple and optional; the creamy broth, tripe, garlic and sour finish are already the focus.
The order of the finish matters as much as the ingredient list. If vinegar is poured in before tasting, its sharpness can mask the broth; if the liaison is added to a vigorously boiling pot, its proteins can tighten into flecks. This is why the base is strained and seasoned in stages, the egg mixture is warmed outside the pot, and the final heating stays controlled. Each stage gives you a chance to correct salt, acidity and thickness before the soup reaches the table.
The broth can be prepared a day ahead, chilled promptly and lifted of any firm fat before reheating. That advance work makes the serving day easier without asking the sour-cream liaison to sit in storage longer than necessary. Warm the broth and tripe first, temper the chilled liaison separately, and combine only when you are ready to finish the soup. If the broth has gelled in the refrigerator, that is a normal result of collagen from the bones; it loosens as the liquid warms.
For safe handling, keep tripe refrigerated and follow its package directions. Avoid rinsing raw beef, which can spread droplets around the sink. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers, refrigerate them within two hours and reheat them thoroughly. Because this soup contains an egg-and-dairy liaison, reheat gently while stirring and do not use a hard boil to restore its texture.
Put the beef bones in a large stockpot and cover with 3.5 litres of cold water. Bring slowly to a gentle boil, skimming the grey foam from the surface as it appears. Lower the heat to a quiet simmer; do not wash raw beef or splash the work area.
Cover partly and simmer the bones for 90 minutes, keeping only occasional small bubbles. Add the onion, carrots, celeriac, parsley root, bay leaves and peppercorns. Simmer for 35 minutes more, until the vegetables are tender and the broth tastes full.
Lift out the bones and vegetables. Pour the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot; discard the peppercorns and bay leaves. Drain the fully cooked tripe and cut it across the grain into even ribbons about 5 mm wide. Use a clean board and knife after handling the bones.
Return the strained broth to a gentle simmer. Add the tripe and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until every piece is steaming hot. Reduce the heat to low while you prepare the liaison.
Whisk the sour cream and egg yolks together in a heatproof bowl until smooth. Slowly whisk in 250 ml of hot broth, a spoonful at a time at first, then in a thin stream. This gradual warming helps prevent the eggs from curdling when they meet the pot.
Stir the tempered liaison back into the pot over low heat. Stir continuously and check several places with an instant-read thermometer; bring the soup to 71°C, then remove it from the heat without letting it boil. Stir in the garlic and vinegar, taste, adjust salt, and serve hot. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat them to 74°C.
A few small bubbles keep the bones cooking gently and make it easier to skim the surface. Vigorous boiling clouds the stock.
The later start lets the roots flavor the broth while keeping them intact enough to lift out and strain cleanly.
Short ribbons about 5 mm wide warm evenly and are easier to eat than long, irregular strips.
Whisk hot broth into the sour cream and yolks gradually. Adding a ladle all at once can shock the mixture and make it lumpy.
Stir and check more than one place in the pot. Stop heating at 71°C and avoid boiling after the liaison is added.
Vinegar strength and personal preference vary. Add the measured amount first, then offer a small jug of extra vinegar.
Divide the soup into shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours. Reheat only the portion you plan to serve.
Ciorbă de burtă recipes vary in the amount of vinegar, garlic and sour cream. Keep the base balanced, then offer extra vinegar or garlic separately so each diner can season a bowl.
This home-friendly version starts with fully cooked tripe. Raw, unprocessed tripe needs its own cleaning and much longer cooking method; do not substitute it using the timing in this recipe.
Ciorbă rădăuțeană is a related creamy Romanian sour soup usually made with chicken rather than tripe. This recipe keeps the defining beef-tripe format of ciorbă de burtă.
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| The liaison looks grainy or split. | Lower the heat and stop boiling. Whisk a ladle of hot soup into a small bowl of sour cream, then slowly whisk that mixture back into the pot. If the eggs have fully scrambled, the texture cannot be made completely smooth again. |
| The soup tastes flat. | Add a small splash of vinegar and a pinch of salt, then taste again. Garlic or vinegar can also be offered individually at the table. |
| The broth is cloudy. | Cloudiness usually follows a hard boil or vigorous stirring while the bones simmer. It is still usable; keep the remaining cooking gentle and strain through a fine sieve. |
| The tripe feels chewy. | Warm it gently for another 5–10 minutes and check again. If the package product was not fully cooked, stop and follow its cooking directions rather than assuming this recipe’s short finishing time is enough. |
| Original ingredient | Practical substitute | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Fully cooked beef tripe | Fully cooked veal tripe | Use the same weight and verify that it is fully cooked. Its flavor and texture may be milder, but the recipe timing remains suitable for warming it through. |
| White-wine vinegar | Distilled white vinegar or lemon juice | Start with less, taste, and add gradually. Lemon gives a different aroma; the soup should taste gently sour rather than sharply acidic. |
It is a Romanian sour soup made with beef tripe in beef broth, commonly finished with garlic, vinegar, sour cream and egg yolks. Recipes vary by household.
No. This timing is written for fully cooked tripe. Raw tripe requires a separate cleaning and longer cooking method, so follow a recipe specifically designed for the raw product.
Whisk hot broth into the egg-yolk and sour-cream mixture gradually, then stir it into the pot over low heat. Check that the soup reaches 71°C and do not let it boil.
You can prepare and strain the broth ahead, then refrigerate it promptly. For the smoothest texture, add the tripe and liaison on the day you serve it. Refrigerate finished leftovers within two hours.
Transfer leftovers to shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours. Use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74°C, stirring gently; the dairy liaison may separate if the soup is boiled.
Explore more Romanian dishes with distinct regional traditions and serving styles.
