Traditional Ciorbă de Burtă: Sour Tripe Soup with Garlic and Sour Cream
Ciorbă de burtă is a rich Romanian beef-bone broth containing tender strips of beef tripe, finished off the boil with sour cream, egg yolk, garlic and vinegar. The roots flavour the stock and are strained out; carrot-infused oil gives the soup its warm gold colour.
Plan and shop
Save this recipe for real-life cooking
Build a local shopping list or place this recipe into a weekly meal plan. No account is required.
Illustrated cooking guide
Step-by-step visual method
A polished English infographic for the whole cooking flow, paired with the full written recipe below for detail and SEO.
Written method
Instructions
Read through once, then cook at your own pace with the illustrated guide above.
- 1
Cover the beef bones with cold water, bring slowly to a simmer and skim thoroughly. Add the onion, one whole carrot, parsnip and celery root; simmer gently for 2 hours.
- 2
Strain the broth, discard the spent vegetables and bones, and return any shank meat if desired. Add the tripe strips and simmer until completely tender, 45-60 minutes.
- 3
Finely grate the remaining carrot and cook it gently in the sunflower oil until the oil turns orange. Strain the coloured oil into the soup without adding a mound of grated carrot.
- 4
Crush the garlic with a little salt and steep it in a ladle of hot broth for 10 minutes; strain this garlic liquor back into the pot. Season the broth.
- 5
Whisk sour cream, yolks and vinegar. Temper gradually with several ladles of hot broth, then remove the pot from the heat and stir in the liaison. Do not boil again.
- 6
Serve the creamy-gold broth with visible tripe strips. Put extra vinegar, crushed-garlic sauce, sour cream and hot pickled peppers on the table.
Cook notes
Tips
Make sure the tripe is well-cleaned before cooking for the best flavor.
Allow the soup to sit for a while after cooking; it often tastes better the next day.
Cook smarter
Helpful notes
Practical storage, serving, swap, and troubleshooting notes for a better first try.
Storage Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat on the stovetop over low heat to maintain the creamy texture.
Substitutions
- Use beef shank or extra beef bones if veal bones are unavailable; poultry broth does not create the same base.
- For a lower-fat option, use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.
What to Serve With
- Crusty bread for dipping
- Pickled vegetables on the side
- A simple green salad
Common Mistakes
- Not cleaning the tripe thoroughly can lead to an unpleasant flavor.
- Boiling the soup after adding the sour cream can cause it to curdle.
Recipe FAQ
Can I use different meats in this soup?
No substitution keeps this dish Ciorbă de burtă: beef tripe and beef-bone broth define the classic soup. Choose a different named ciorbă if avoiding tripe.
Can this soup be made without tripe?
Tripe and beef-bone stock define ciorbă de burtă. A mushroom sour soup can be delicious, but it is a different dish.
How can I make the soup spicier?
You can add chili flakes or a bit of hot sauce when simmering the soup for added heat.
Kitchen tools
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
A light, editable placeholder for future partner recommendations. No real affiliate links are enabled yet.
Blender
Helpful for smooth sauces, soups, marinades, and purees.
Saucepan
Useful for simmering sauces, soups, grains, and small-batch stews.
Skillet
Useful for browning, quick sautes, and weeknight one-pan cooking.
Chef knife
A basic prep tool for vegetables, herbs, aromatics, and proteins.
Cutting board
Keeps prep organized for chopping, slicing, and staging ingredients.
Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate or partner, we may earn from qualifying purchases when enabled. Read the Affiliate Disclosure.
Cook along weekly
Want more illustrated recipes like Traditional Ciorbă de Burtă: Sour Tripe Soup with Garlic and Sour Cream?
Join the World Recipe Letter for global home-cooking ideas and visual recipe guides.
Join the World Recipe Letter
Get 5 illustrated recipes every week.
No account needed. Unsubscribe when email delivery is connected.
Cook next
You might also like
More flavors from the same country or nearby pantry style.
Traditional Romanian Mămăligă cu Brânză și Smântână: Cornmeal with Brined Cheese and Sour Cream
Mămăligă cu brânză și smântână pairs firm, slowly cooked Romanian cornmeal with salty Telemea and cool sour cream. The cheese and cream are served on or beside the hot mămăligă rather than cooked into it.
Traditional Romanian Sarmale: Pork-and-Rice Rolls in Sour Cabbage Leaves
Romanian sarmale are small pork-and-rice rolls wrapped in sour cabbage leaves and slowly simmered over shredded cabbage with a little smoked pork, thyme and tomato. They are traditionally served with mămăligă and sour cream.
Plăcintă Dobrogeană PGI: Layered Brined-Cheese Pie with Yogurt and Eggs
Plăcintă dobrogeană PGI is made from very thin hand-stretched dough filled with salted soft cheese, gathered into ruffled rolls or coils in a tray, and baked beneath a yogurt-and-egg finish. It is not a flat stack of alternating pastry sheets.