This is NOT the traditional Romanian meatball soup. Rather, it is a meatball stew popular in some parts of Romania.

My Grandmother has very fond memories of this from when she was young, so I wanted to try and recreate the dish for her.

I looked at Romanian cookbooks and researched the internet, and I think I came up with a recipe that was very delicious!


Full recipe here:

Perișoare cu verdeața

For the meatballs:

100 g lard or butter

600 g or 3  onions, finely diced

500 g ground beef

500 g ground pork

2 eggs

200 g of the inside of a country loaf of bread, soaked in 200 ml of milk for 30 minutes and then drained

1 Tbsp. salt

1 Tbsp. paprika

¼ tsp. pepper

1 bunch dill, finely chopped

10 green onions, finely sliced

For the stew:

1 cup white wine

500 ml or around 2 generous cups of beef or chicken stock

1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 bunch dill, finely chopped

1 bunch of tarragon, leaves picked off the stem and finely chopped

10 green onions, finely sliced

1 cup sour cream

Salt to taste

1)        To make the meatballs, gently cook the onions in the lard over medium heat until completely soft and translucent, about 15-20 minutes. Take off the heat and let cool completely

2)        In a bowl, mix the remaining meatball ingredients together until very well combined. Now form them into small meatballs, that are about the size of a golf ball.

3)        In a large pot or high-sided sauté pan, add the wine, stock and about ¾ of the chopped herbs. Layer the meatballs onto of the herbs and put a cover over the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes. If you do not  have a large enough pot to fit all the meatballs, simply divide the braising liquid and meatballs into two different pans. 

4)        To finish, ladle a bit of the braising liquid into the sour cream and mix in well. Now add the tempered sour cream back to the pan and gently incorporate into the sauce. Toss in the remaining herbs and cook gently until the herbs have wilted slightly and the sour cream is incorporated throughout dish. Check for seasonings and serve right away with some crusty bread.