The other day, I found some beautiful smoked pork bones at the Romanian shop in my town. They had plenty of meat on them, so I immediately thought about making a Romanian smoked pork and tarragon soup recipe. It had been a while since I last cooked a proper Romanian ciorbă, and, as I had friends helping me with a few things around the house, I thought I would treat them to something special for lunch.
Tarragon is a delicate, aromatic herb that is often used in Romanian cuisine, especially in soups and dishes prepared with smoked meat. It has a slightly sweet, anise-like flavour that adds a lovely fragrance to the broth. It’s a herb that simply elevates dishes.
Although it takes a little time for the smoked pork to cook and release its flavour, the preparation itself is straightforward. You only need one pot, a few fresh vegetables and some dried tarragon to make a soup that tastes like something straight out of a Romanian home kitchen.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Romanian Smoked Pork and Tarragon Soup
The star of this recipe is smoked pork bones, ideally with plenty of meat still attached. I used around 300 g, but you can adjust the quantity depending on how much meat your bones have. Smoked pork ribs or other meaty smoked pork cuts are also suitable. The bones give the broth a wonderful depth of flavour, while the meat becomes tender as it simmers.
For the vegetable base, you will need one onion, two carrots, one parsnip and three celery sticks. These are common ingredients in Romanian soups and provide a lovely balance of sweetness and savouriness. I like to chop them into small, bite-sized pieces so they are easy to eat with a spoon.
You will also need two bell peppers and four to five baby potatoes. The peppers add sweetness and colour, while the potatoes make the soup more substantial. You can use regular potatoes if you don’t have baby ones.
A tablespoon of tomato paste gives the broth a little colour and a deeper tomato flavour without overpowering the smoked pork. The soup is then soured with around 500 ml of Romanian borș. This is a fermented wheat bran liquid traditionally used in Romanian cooking to give ciorbă its distinctive tangy taste. You can usually find it in Romanian or Eastern European shops.
Finally, you will need half a packet of dried tarragon. This is the herb that gives the soup its characteristic aroma. I recommend adding it towards the end of cooking so its flavour remains noticeable. You will also need a little vegetable oil for frying and salt to taste. Serve the finished soup with sour cream.
How to Make Romanian Smoked Pork and Tarragon Soup
Start by preparing all the vegetables. Peel the onion, carrots and parsnip, wash the celery sticks and bell peppers, and cut everything into small, bite-sized pieces. Peel the potatoes if necessary and cut them into similar-sized chunks.
Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, parsnip and celery. Fry the vegetables for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute, making sure it coats the vegetables evenly.
Pour water into the pot, enough to comfortably cover the ingredients and leave plenty of room for the rest of the soup. Add the smoked pork bones and bring everything to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for around 45 minutes. This gives the smoked pork time to release its flavour into the broth and allows the meat to become tender.
After 45 minutes, add the chopped bell peppers and potatoes. Continue simmering until the potatoes are cooked through and tender.
Meanwhile, carefully remove the pork bones from the soup. Allow them to cool enough to handle, then separate the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and return all the meat to the pot.
Next, prepare the borș. Pour it into a separate saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once it reaches its first boil, turn off the heat. This is a traditional step when using Romanian borș and helps you add it to the soup without lowering the temperature too much.
Pour the hot borș into the soup and stir well. Taste the broth before adding salt, as smoked pork can already be quite salty. Adjust the seasoning according to your preference.
Finally, add the dried tarragon and let the soup boil gently for another five minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the soup rest for a few minutes before serving. Ladle it into bowls and serve hot, with a generous spoonful of sour cream.
Notes and Tips:
- The bones are responsible for much of the flavour in this soup, but you also want enough meat to make it a hearty meal. Look for smoked pork ribs or bones with visible pieces of meat attached.
- Adjust the taste of borș to your own taste. I love my soups very sour but if you are not used to the taste of borș, add it bit by bit, taste, and adjust.
- You can use either dried tarragon or preserved in vinegar. If you used the later you will probably need to adjust the quantity of borș.
Romanian Smoked Pork and Tarragon Soup
Ingredients
- 300 gr smoked pork bones with meat attached
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 1 parsnip
- 3 celery sticks
- 4-5 baby potatoes depending on size
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 bell peppers
- 500 Romanian bors
- 1/2 pack dried tarragon
- 1 tbso vegetable oil
- salt to taste
- sour cream to serve with
Instructions
- Peel and chop the onion, carrots and parsnip. Wash and chop the celery and bell peppers. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion, carrots, parsnip and celery. Fry until the vegetables soften, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
- Add enough water to comfortably cover the vegetables and leave room for the pork and remaining ingredients.
- Add the smoked pork bones and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for around 45 minutes.
- Add the chopped bell peppers and potatoes. Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender.
- Carefully remove the pork bones from the soup. Once cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and discard the bones.
- Return the pork meat to the soup.
- In a separate saucepan, bring the Romanian borș to a boil.
- Pour the hot borș into the soup and stir well. Taste before adding salt, as the smoked pork and borș may already provide enough seasoning.
- Add the dried tarragon and let the soup simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and serve hot with a generous spoonful of sour cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Romanian borș?
Romanian borș is a fermented liquid made traditionally from wheat bran and water. It is used to sour soups and gives Romanian ciorbă its distinctive tangy flavour. It is different from beetroot-based borscht, which is a completely different dish. You can usually find Romanian borș in Eastern European grocery shops.
Can I make this soup without Romanian borș?
Yes. If you cannot find Romanian borș, you can use lemon juice or a little white wine vinegar to add acidity. However, the flavour will be different from the traditional version. Start with a small amount, taste the broth and add more gradually until you are happy with the result.
Can I use smoked pork ribs instead of pork bones?
Absolutely. Smoked pork ribs are a great alternative, particularly if they have plenty of meat on them. You can also use smoked pork shoulder or another meaty smoked cut.
What can I use instead of tarragon?
Tarragon is quite distinctive, so there isn’t a perfect substitute. Lovage is another popular herb in Romanian soups, but it has a different flavour. If you cannot find tarragon, you can use lovage or parsley, although the soup will no longer have its characteristic taste.
How long does Romanian smoked pork soup keep?
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat it in a saucepan until piping hot throughout. If you are making a large batch, you can also freeze portions, although the potatoes may become slightly softer after thawing.
For more traditional Romanian soup recipes, check out my recommendations below:
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