Ciorbă de salată verde cu omletă și afumătură is a Transylvanian-style Romanian soup whose defining detail is served separately: a simple omelette is cooked, sliced and added to the bowls. The name describes lettuce, smoked meat and omelette together. Romanian home recipes vary in their liquid and dairy choices, so this four-serving version makes those choices explicit: water for the broth, cultured sour cream for the finish and smoked pork for savoury depth. It is an editorial home formula based on documented methods, not a claim that one standardized recipe represents every household.
The method keeps the omelette distinct from the soup. Whisk three eggs with a small measure of milk and parsley, then cook the mixture as a flat omelette in a skillet. The centre must be fully set; verify that it reaches 71.1 °C / 160 °F with a food thermometer. This temperature is the safety endpoint for egg dishes. Let the omelette rest briefly on a clean board before slicing it into narrow strips. Placing the strips in each bowl before the soup is ladled over them lets diners see the defining ingredient.
Green-leaf lettuce is sliced into broad ribbons so it remains recognizable after a short simmer. Wash and dry the leaves, remove the tougher core and cut away any damaged portions. Spring onion and green garlic provide the fresh allium notes found in the source style; use the tender white and green parts. A finely diced carrot softens in the soup base. The measured quantities here make preparation predictable, while the original source gives flexible household amounts for the greens and seasoning.
Small cubes of smoked pork are warmed with carrot in a little sunflower oil before water is added. The smoked meat seasons the broth as it simmers, so taste before adding all the salt. Spring onion and green garlic cook only briefly; browning them would change the delicate, green character. Once the water boils, add the lettuce in batches and let each handful wilt before adding more. A gentle five-to-seven-minute simmer softens the leaves without turning them dull or mushy.
The creamy finish is made by tempering cultured sour cream rather than adding it cold to the pot. Whisk the sour cream with chopped dill and parsley, then gradually whisk in several ladles of hot broth. This warms and loosens the mixture before it returns to the soup. Keep the pot over low heat and warm it until steaming, without boiling, which helps the dairy stay smooth. Mild vinegar is added gradually at the end; taste as you go so the broth is pleasantly tangy rather than sharp.
The recipe uses measured editorial amounts of oil, vinegar, salt and herbs because the source describes these seasonings flexibly. Smoked pork products differ in saltiness, and lettuce heads vary in size, so the final seasoning is best adjusted only after the soup and dairy have been combined. Full-fat plain yogurt is a documented alternative to sour cream in the source family of recipes, but it can make the finish tangier and less rich. Use the same gradual tempering method if choosing it.
Preparation takes about 20 minutes and cooking about 35 minutes, for roughly 55 minutes total. These are practical estimates for washing and slicing the lettuce, cooking the omelette, building the broth and finishing the soup in sequence. The four-serving yield is an editorial choice. The useful doneness checks are concrete: the omelette reaches its temperature endpoint, the carrot is tender, the lettuce has softened while retaining color, and the finished broth is hot but not boiling after the sour cream is added.
Serve the soup immediately, arranging omelette ribbons in four bowls and ladling the lettuce broth and smoked pork over them. For leftovers, transfer the soup promptly to shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours. Use within three to four days and reheat to 74 °C / 165 °F. The sour cream may separate or lose some of its smooth texture when reheated; stir while reheating, but still reach the safe reheating temperature. No claim is made that the dish has one official form or that it is exclusive to a single region.
