Romanian Potato Soup (Ciorbă de Cartofi)

Romanian potato soup, or ciorbă de cartofi, is a vegetable soup built around tender potatoes, root vegetables, herbs, and a pleasantly tart broth. This meat-free version uses Romanian borș for its characteristic sour finish, with lemon juice or vinegar as an easy substitute; family and regional versions vary in their vegetables, herbs, and degree of sourness.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons neutral oil (30 ml)
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 5 oz / 150 g)
2 medium carrots, diced (about 6 oz / 180 g)
2 celery stalks, diced (about 3 oz / 80 g)
1 red bell pepper, diced (about 5 oz / 150 g)
2 lb potatoes, peeled if desired and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes (900 g)
8 cups vegetable broth or water (1.9 L)
1 medium ripe tomato, diced (about 5 oz / 150 g), or ¾ cup canned diced tomato (180 g)
1 teaspoon fine salt (6 g), plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (about 0.5 g)
2 bay leaves (about 0.2 g)
1 teaspoon dried thyme (1 g), or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (3 g)
1 cup Romanian borș (240 ml); or use 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice or white wine vinegar (15–30 ml), added to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh lovage (about 10 g), or ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (15 g)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for serving (8 g)
½ cup sour cream, for serving (120 g), optional

Instructions

Prepare the vegetables. Dice the onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper into similar small pieces so they soften at a similar pace. Cut the potatoes into roughly ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes. If you are not adding them to the pot right away, keep the cut potatoes covered with cold water to prevent browning, then drain them before cooking.
Soften the aromatics. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring now and then. The onion should turn translucent and the carrots should begin to soften, but the vegetables do not need to brown. If the pot looks dry or the onion starts sticking, lower the heat and stir in a tablespoon of water.
Simmer the potatoes. Add the potatoes, broth or water, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and thyme. Raise the heat until the liquid reaches a gentle boil, then reduce it to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 18 minutes, stirring once or twice. The potatoes should be starting to become tender when pierced with a knife, but should still hold their shape.
Add the pepper and tomato. Stir in the diced bell pepper and tomato. Simmer for 8 minutes, or until the potatoes are fully tender and the pepper is softened. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil; vigorous boiling can break up the potatoes and make the broth cloudy and starchy.
Sour the soup. If using Romanian borș, bring it to a boil in a small saucepan while the vegetables finish simmering. Pour the hot borș into the soup and simmer everything together for 3 minutes. Taste before adding more salt. If using lemon juice or vinegar instead, stir in 1 tablespoon (15 ml), taste, and add more a teaspoon at a time until the broth tastes bright but not sharply sour. Do not add a full cup of lemon juice or vinegar.
Finish and serve. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the lovage, or parsley if lovage is unavailable, then taste and adjust the salt and acidity. Ladle into bowls and finish with chopped parsley. Offer sour cream at the table so each person can add it to taste.

Tips

Choose potatoes that keep their shape. Waxy or all-purpose potatoes, such as red potatoes or Yukon Golds, stay in distinct pieces during simmering. Starchy potatoes also work, but they soften more quickly and can thicken the broth. Cut them evenly and begin checking for tenderness around the 18-minute mark.
Look for borș in Eastern European shops. Romanian borș is a fermented wheat-bran liquid, not the beet soup often called borscht in English. Bottled borș gives the soup a rounded, fermented tang. If you cannot find it, lemon juice or mild white wine vinegar works well; the result is cleaner and less complex, so add it gradually and taste as you go.
Use lovage if you can find it, but do not let it hold up dinner. Lovage is a traditional aromatic herb with a flavor often compared to celery, only more assertive. Fresh lovage gives the soup a distinctive, savory finish. Flat-leaf parsley is a practical substitute and makes a pleasant soup, though the flavor will be milder and less characteristically Romanian.
Keep the simmer gentle and season at the end. Potato size and variety affect how fast the pieces cook, and borș varies in acidity and saltiness by brand or batch. Stir carefully so the cubes do not crumble, and wait until after adding the souring liquid to make final adjustments to salt and pepper.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the soup hot in deep bowls, with crusty bread, rye bread, or a simple slice of sourdough for dipping into the tart broth. A spoonful of sour cream softens the acidity and gives the soup a creamy contrast; keep it on the side rather than stirring it into the whole pot if you expect leftovers. Chopped parsley or lovage scattered over each bowl adds freshness, while a little extra black pepper suits the gentle, earthy flavors.

For a fuller meal, put out bread and a crisp salad of sliced cucumber, tomato, and onion dressed with a little vinegar and oil. The soup is filling enough to serve as a light main course, especially with bread, but it also works as a first course before a simple roast or grilled vegetables. If serving guests who prefer a less tangy soup, bring the borș or lemon to the table separately only if you have kept some back; otherwise, offer sour cream to mellow the bowl.

Variations

Make it more substantial with beans. Stir in 1½ cups (about 250 g) drained, rinsed cooked white beans during the final 8 minutes of simmering. They add a soft, creamy bite without changing the basic method. If using canned beans, rinse them well first, and check the soup’s salt only after they have warmed through.

Try a different vegetable mix. Parsnip can replace one carrot, or add about 1 cup (100 g) shredded cabbage with the bell pepper. Cabbage needs those extra minutes to soften, so taste a piece before finishing the soup. Keep the total amount of vegetables close to the recipe so there is enough broth to surround them.

Make the broth richer. Replace up to 2 cups (480 ml) of the vegetable broth with water and add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) tomato paste with the softened vegetables. This gives the soup deeper color and a more concentrated tomato note. For a dairy-free finish, simply leave out the sour cream; the soup itself contains no dairy.

Adjust the sourness to your preference. Borș is the most traditional choice in this version, but lemon juice and white wine vinegar are practical alternatives. Start with the smaller amount listed and add more after tasting. For a gentler broth, use 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of acid; for a brighter one, increase it a little at a time. Avoid adding the acid early in the cooking, since tasting at the end makes it easier to control the balance.

Storage and Reheating

Cool the soup promptly and refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking in a covered container. It keeps for 3–4 days in the refrigerator. Store sour cream separately and add it only when serving. The soup may taste slightly more sour after a night in the refrigerator, so taste it again before serving and add a splash of broth or water if you want to soften the flavor.

Reheat only the amount you plan to eat, on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring gently until steaming hot throughout. Add a little water or broth if the potatoes have absorbed liquid. You can also use a microwave-safe bowl, covered loosely, stirring partway through so the soup heats evenly. For food safety, leftovers should reach 165°F (74°C) when reheated; check the center with a food thermometer if you need to verify the temperature.

Freezing is possible, but potatoes can become grainy or break apart when thawed, so the texture will not be quite as smooth and distinct as freshly made soup. If freezing, cool the soup promptly, portion it into freezer-safe containers, and leave room for expansion. Thaw it in the refrigerator and reheat it gently, stirring carefully. For the best potato texture, refrigerate the soup and use it within the recommended 3–4 days instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Romanian borș?

Romanian borș is a sour liquid traditionally made by fermenting wheat bran with water and a starter. It is used to give many Romanian ciorbe their characteristic tang. It is different from beet-based borscht, the soup familiar in many English-language menus. Look for bottled borș in Eastern European grocery stores; lemon juice or white wine vinegar can stand in when it is unavailable, though they give a simpler, sharper acidity.

Can I make this soup without borș?

Yes. Use 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice or white wine vinegar to start, then add more in small amounts after the potatoes are cooked. The recipe’s 1–2 tablespoon (15–30 ml) range is a guide, not a fixed amount, because lemons and vinegars vary in strength. Add the acid at the end so you can taste and adjust the finished broth.

Do I have to peel the potatoes?

No. Thin-skinned potatoes can be scrubbed and left unpeeled, which saves time and gives the soup a more rustic look. Peel thicker-skinned potatoes if you prefer a smoother bite. Either way, cut the pieces to a similar size and rinse them if they are especially starchy; a quick rinse can help keep the broth clearer.

Why are my potatoes falling apart?

They may be a starchy variety, cut smaller than the recipe calls for, or simmered too vigorously for too long. Use waxy or all-purpose potatoes if you want firm cubes, keep them around ¾ inch (2 cm), and check tenderness as the soup cooks. Once they are tender, avoid extended simmering and stir gently rather than scraping the bottom of the pot.

Can I make Romanian potato soup ahead?

Yes. Make it up to 3–4 days ahead and refrigerate it promptly in a covered container. The flavors will settle as it rests, though the soup may become a little more tart and the potatoes softer. Reheat gently, taste before serving, and stir in fresh herbs and sour cream at the table rather than before storing.

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