Romanian spinach ciorbă (sour soup) with borș

Name: Romanian spinach ciorbă (sour soup) with borș
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons oil; 1 medium onion (150 g); 1 large carrot (120 g); 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 500 g frozen spinach; 3 medium tomatoes (300 g); 2000 ml water; 250 ml borș; 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic; 10 g fresh lovage; 1 g dried dill

Soups - Romanian spinach ciorbă (sour soup) with borș by Marta D. - Recipia

Romanian spinach ciorbă (sour soup) with borș gets its tangy flavor from the borș and tomatoes. Boil the frozen spinach for at least 30 minutes over medium heat. The grated carrot softens in the broth, while the leaves stay soft and visible in the bowl. I like it on the sour side and serve it hot, with the fresh herbs added just before serving. Prep: 15 minutes. Cook: 40 minutes. Rest: 3 minutes. Total: 58 minutes. Serves: 6. About 95 kcal and 3 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion (150 g)
1 large carrot (120 g)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
500 g frozen spinach
3 medium tomatoes (300 g)
2000 ml water
250 ml borș
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
10 g fresh lovage
1 g dried dill

Preparation

1. Peel and wash the vegetables. Finely chop the onion, grate the carrot and dice the tomatoes. 2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot and sauté the onion for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the carrot and sauté for 3 more minutes. 3. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper, the frozen spinach, tomatoes and 2000 ml of cold water. Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, until the spinach and tomatoes soften. 4. Mix 250 ml of borș with 1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic, pour it into the pot and simmer for 2 more minutes. 5. Turn off the heat, add the chopped lovage and dried dill. Let the soup stand for 3 minutes before serving.

Notes

If the package contains frozen spinach in whole leaves, separate the pieces with a spoon once the soup starts boiling. Finely chopped spinach spreads more evenly through the broth, while whole leaves stay more visible. If you thawed the spinach beforehand and it released a lot of liquid, drain it so it doesn’t dilute the soup. Borș varies in acidity, so taste it before pouring it in and adjust the salt after the soup has cooked. If you don’t have borș, replace the 250 ml with 230 ml of water and 20 ml of lemon juice. You can swap the dried dill for 5 g of fresh dill, added at the end. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When I make it for lunch, I start about an hour ahead. Serve it with rye bread.