Ciorbă Rădăuțeană (Romanian Sour Chicken Ciorba Soup) is a light but filling soup made with chicken, lots of finely diced vegetables, pasta, lemon juice, and fresh parsley. It’s simple to prepare, stretches ingredients well, and finishes bright and balanced without feeling heavy.
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💡Recipe Overview
- Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes to prep and 60 minutes to cook
- Cooking Method: Stove-top
- Dietary Info: Ancestral diet
- Skill Level: Easy
What is an ancestral diet? Read my post on what nourishing foods are based on the traditional dietary principles of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
What Ciorbă Rădăuțeană Is (and Why I Love It)
Ciorbă Rădăuțeană is a traditional Romanian sour chicken soup, and the name itself explains a lot - ciorbă simply means a sour soup, and Rădăuțeană refers to the town of Rădăuți in northern Romania, where this style comes from.
It’s meant to be bright, light, and deeply nourishing rather than heavy or rich, which is exactly why it works so well in cooler months and during recovery.
This version of the soup came to me through a friend with Romanian roots, and it’s one I’ve made many times since.
It stays in rotation because it does what good soup should do. The homemade broth is soothing and easy to sip, while the finely diced root vegetables cook down until they’re gentle on the gut and easy to digest.
That combination makes it especially suitable for anyone recovering from illness, surgery, or childbirth, or simply needing real food that doesn’t strain the body.
I often serve it with fresh milled flour bread for dipping, or pair it with something simple like apple muffins when I’m bringing a meal to someone else. It’s a humble, practical soup with a long history - and one I keep making because it takes care of people well.
Ingredients for Romanian Chicken Ciorba Soup
- Chicken thighs - Skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs are convenient here because they serve two purposes at once: they provide the meat for the soup and create the broth as they cook, so there’s no need to make a separate stock. Chicken drumsticks work the same way if that’s what you have. Avoid boneless, skinless cuts - they won’t produce the same broth or texture.
- Aromatics: Bay leaves, whole black peppercorns, and sea salt to provide basic seasoning to the broth.
- Mirepox: Onion, carrots, celery with the leaves sauteed in avocado oil creates a good base for the soup.
- Root vegetables: Parsnips and celeriac root add amazing flavor. Celeriac is the root fo the celery plant and is essential in this recipe if you want to go with traditional Romanian ciorba soup.
- Bell peppers: Orange and green bell pepper add more flavor and texture.
- Leuștean seasoning (lovage) is traditional but optional. It is commonly found in Eastern European markets or specialty spice shops. If you don’t have it, the soup is still complete without it, especially if you're using celery leaves.
- Thin macaroni or vermicelli adds bulk and makes the soup more filling. Choose a small, thin pasta that cooks quickly and evenly. You can use also use cooked spaghetti squash if you're going for gluten-free, grain-free soup.
- Fresh lemon juice adds so much brightness to the soup and lots of fresh parsley to brighten it up.
Substitutions and Variations
- Creamy version - Many traditional versions finish the soup with sour cream. To incorporate it, stir a few tablespoons of hot broth into the sour cream to temper it, then add it back to the pot off heat. This makes the soup thicker and milder without overpowering the broth.
- Egg-thickened version - Another traditional method uses egg yolks to slightly thicken the soup. Whisk the yolks with a small amount of sour cream or broth, then slowly stir the mixture into the soup after removing it from heat. This gives the soup a fuller texture while keeping it light.
- Extra souring - Some versions increase the sourness using vinegar, lemon juice, or borș (fermented wheat bran liquid). If using vinegar (try my homemade apple cider vinegar), add it in small amounts at the end. Borș can be found in Eastern European markets and is added toward the end of cooking to maintain its flavor.
Make it Ancestral
This soup naturally fits an ancestral way of cooking by relying on whole ingredients to build flavor. Using skin-on, bone-in chicken allows the broth to develop as the soup cooks, without the need for separate stock. Root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and celeriac store well, cook down easily, and make the soup gentle and filling. To keep it simple, you can skip the pasta and serve the soup with fresh bread instead, finishing with lemon juice and herbs for brightness.
Helpful Tips
- Don’t overcook the chicken: Simmer the chicken gently just until cooked through, then remove it from the pot. Overcooking will make it dry and stringy, especially once it’s added back to the soup.
- Dice the vegetables finely: Small, even pieces cook at the same rate and make the soup easier to eat. Finely diced vegetables also allow more flavor in each spoonful without making the soup feel chunky.
- Add pasta at the very end: Thin pasta cooks fast and can easily overcook. Add it once the soup is boiling and cook just until tender.
- Finish with lemon, not earlier: Lemon juice should be added at the end so the soup stays bright. Adding it too early can dull the flavor.
💭MealTrain Suggestion!
This soup travels well and is easy to portion, which makes it a good choice for bringing to a friend in recovery. Let the soup cool slightly, then transfer it to mason jars or sturdy containers with tight-fitting lids, leaving a little space at the top to prevent leaks. If including pasta, consider packing it separately so the soup doesn’t thicken too much by the time it’s reheated. Pair the soup with fresh bread or muffins wrapped in a clean kitchen towel or parchment, and include simple reheating instructions so it’s easy for them to enjoy without extra effort.
Serving Suggestions
Ciorbă Rădăuțeană is traditionally served hot as a main course, often with bread on the side and a simple garnish of fresh herbs. It’s meant to be a complete, nourishing bowl rather than part of a complicated meal, which is why it works so well for everyday lunches, dinners, and recovery meals.
For an easy family meal, serve the soup with fresh bread or rolls - something like a simple fresh milled flour loaf or no-knead bread works well here. If you’re bringing this soup to someone else, I would add some fresh milled flour, apple muffins, or another lightly sweet baked good to make the meal feel complete without adding extra work.
When serving this as part of a larger meal or for guests, keep the sides simple. A Romaine salad or cabbage cucumber salad helps round things out without competing with the soup. This is also a good soup to serve ahead of time for gatherings, since it reheats well and doesn’t require last-minute attention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover chicken ciorba in an airtight container for up to 5 days. These glass snap containers are perfect for leftovers but these wide-mouth mason jars for leftovers are great for soups. To reheat, transfer the ciorba soup to a small saucepan and warm over medium-low heat, stirring often.
You can, but I recommend freezing it before adding pasta, if possible. Cool the soup completely, then freeze in airtight containers or freezer jars for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
This usually happens when the soup is reheated too aggressively. While this recipe does not include eggs or sour cream, some traditional versions of ciorbă do. Ingredients like lemon juice, eggs, or sour cream can curdle or separate if the soup is brought to a boil or heated over high heat. Reheat the soup gently over medium-low heat and avoid boiling.
Looking for more related recipes? Here are some ideas:
Did you make this Ciorba Radauteana? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ recipe rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comments. Thank you!💚
Printable Recipe
Romanian Chicken Ciorba Recipe (Ciorba Radauteana)
Ingredients
For the Broth
- 1½ pounds chicken thighs skin-on and bone-in
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 10-12 cups water
For the Soup
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 3 carrots finely diced
- 3 celery ribs finely diced (include the leaves)
- 2 parsnips peeled and finely diced
- 1 medium celeriac root peeled and finely diced
- 1 orange bell pepper finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper finely diced
- 1 teaspoon Leuștean seasoning optional
- 2 cups thin macaroni or vermicelli
To Finish
- 1 lemon juiced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Add the 1½ pounds chicken thighs, 2 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns, and 1 tablespoon sea salt to a medium pot. Cover with 10-12 cups water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer gently until the chicken is fully cooked, about 25-30 minutes.
- Remove the chicken thighs and set aside to cool. Strain the broth and reserve it. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and set aside. Discard skin and bones.
- While the chicken cooks and cools, prep all the vegetables. Dice 1 yellow onion, 3 carrots, 3 celery ribs, 2 parsnips, and 1 medium celeriac root as finely as possible.
- In a large soup pot, heat the 2 tablespoons avocado oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery (including leaves), parsnips, and celeriac. Sauté until softened and aromatic, about 8-10 minutes.
- While those vegetables are sauteeing, dice 1 orange bell pepper and 1 green bell pepper. Add the diced peppers and cook for another 2-3 minutes, just until softened. Stir in 1 teaspoon Leuștean seasoning if using.
- Pour the strained broth into the soup pot and bring to a gentle boil.
- Once the soup is boiling, add 2 cups thin macaroni or vermicelli. Cook until the pasta is al dente, according to package timing.
- Add the shredded chicken back to the pot to warm it through.
- Taste and adjust salt as needed. Add the juice of 1 lemon and ¼ cup fresh parsley. Stir and remove from heat.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the chicken: Simmer the chicken gently just until cooked through, then remove it from the pot. Overcooking will make it dry and stringy, especially once it’s added back to the soup.
- Dice the vegetables finely: Small, even pieces cook at the same rate and make the soup easier to eat. Finely diced vegetables also allow more flavor in each spoonful without making the soup feel chunky.
- Add pasta at the very end: Thin pasta cooks fast and can easily overcook. Add it once the soup is boiling and cook just until tender.
- Finish with lemon, not earlier: Lemon juice should be added at the end so the soup stays bright. Adding it too early can dull the flavor.
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