Traditional Ciorbă Rădăuțeană: Garlicky Chicken Soup with Sour Cream
Ciorbă rădăuțeană is a Romanian chicken soup inspired by ciorbă de burtă: a full chicken-and-root broth with boneless shredded meat, garlic and vinegar, finished off the boil with an egg-yolk and sour-cream liaison. The finished bowl contains pale creamy broth, shredded chicken and only fine carrot strips—never a whole drumstick, bone, skin or large root-vegetable chunks.
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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 chicken with cold water, bring slowly to a simmer and skim. Add onion, carrots, parsnip and celery root; simmer gently 45-60 minutes until the meat is tender and the broth flavourful.
- 2
Remove the chicken and strain the broth. Discard onion, parsnip and celery; cut one carrot into fine strips for the soup. Shred the chicken, discarding skin and bones, and return meat and carrot strips to the broth.
- 3
Crush garlic with salt, steep it in a ladle of hot broth for 10 minutes and strain the garlic liquor into the pot. Season with pepper and part of the vinegar.
- 4
Whisk sour cream with egg yolks. Temper gradually with several ladles of hot broth, remove the soup from the heat, then stir in the liaison. Never boil after this point.
- 5
Adjust vinegar and salt, add parsley, and serve a pale creamy broth with boneless shredded chicken and only a few fine carrot strips. No whole drumstick, bone, skin, onion, parsnip, celery or large root chunks may remain in the finished bowl; offer extra garlic-vinegar sauce and hot peppers separately.
Cook notes
Tips
Always taste the soup before seasoning to ensure it's seasoned just right for your palate.
The broth made while poaching the chicken is the base of the finished soup; do not replace it with a small quantity of packaged stock.
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Helpful notes
Practical storage, serving, swap, and troubleshooting notes for a better first try.
Storage Tips
- Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat the soup gently on the stove over low heat to prevent curdling the sour cream.
Substitutions
- Replace sour cream with Greek yogurt for a lower-fat option.
- Use lemon juice instead of vinegar for a different sour note.
What to Serve With
- Crusty bread for dipping
- Pickled vegetables for a tangy contrast
- A side salad with fresh greens
Common Mistakes
- Not skimming the foam off the broth can result in a cloudy soup.
- Adding the sour cream too early can cause it to curdle.
Recipe FAQ
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
Yes, chicken breasts can be used, but thighs add more flavor and tenderness.
What if I don’t have fresh dill?
You can use 1 tsp of dried dill as a substitute, but fresh dill is preferred for the best flavor.
Can I omit the chicken?
Chicken and its broth define ciorbă rădăuțeană. A vegetable soup finished with garlic and sour cream would be a different recipe.
Kitchen tools
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Rice cooker
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Blender
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Saucepan
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Skillet
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Chef knife
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