Romanian lettuce ciorbă with kaiser and bacon

Name: Romanian lettuce ciorbă with kaiser and bacon
Ingredients: 600 g lettuce (2 large heads); 100 g bacon; 100 g kaiser (smoked pork belly); 15 ml oil; 4 garlic cloves; 500 ml milk; 3 eggs; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 30 ml vinegar

Soups - Romanian lettuce ciorbă with kaiser and bacon by Lorelei A. - Recipia

Romanian lettuce ciorbă with kaiser and bacon, a Romanian soup, is served hot or cold, with tender leaves in a milky broth. It reminds me of childhood, and I tear the lettuce by hand for irregular pieces, just how I like it in a spring soup. Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 27 minutes. Total time: 47 minutes. Servings: 4. About 390 kcal and 18 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

600 g lettuce (2 large heads)
100 g bacon
100 g kaiser (smoked pork belly)
15 ml oil
4 garlic cloves
500 ml milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
30 ml vinegar

Preparation

1. Wash the lettuce leaves one by one, shake them well and tear them into pieces. 2. Cut the bacon and kaiser into small cubes or strips. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pot and fry them for 5 minutes, until lightly browned. 3. Add the crushed garlic and brown it for 1 minute, stirring. 4. Add the lettuce to the pot and cook for 8 minutes, stirring, until it softens and releases its liquid. 5. Pour in the milk and simmer the soup over low heat for 10 minutes, until the leaves are tender. 6. Beat the eggs with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, then pour them into the pot. Cook for another 3 minutes, until set. 7. Add the vinegar and adjust the seasoning.

Notes

Choose heads with crisp leaves and no yellowing edges. Shake the lettuce well after washing, because water trapped between the leaves thins the broth. The garlic should only turn lightly golden; if it gets too dark, it makes the soup bitter. I add the vinegar a little at a time and stop when the broth is as tangy as I like it. For a version with slănină, use 200 g instead of the bacon and kaiser. The milk can be replaced with 500 g of sour cream with at least 20% fat, left at room temperature for 15 minutes and first mixed with a few spoonfuls of hot broth; then just warm the soup gently. It keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days; heat only the portion you are serving. It contains eggs and dairy, and I serve fresh bread with it.