Alright, so I decided to tackle Ciorba Raduteana. It’s one of those soups I’ve been meaning to make for ages, and today was the day. Heard it’s a bit like a healthier, brighter version of other creamy chicken soups, so I was pretty keen to get stuck in.
Getting the Broth Right – First Things First
First off, I grabbed a whole chicken. I always think a whole bird makes the best broth, none of that bits-and-pieces stuff. Tossed it in a big pot with cold water. Added a couple of carrots, a big onion just halved, a celery stick, and a parsnip. Some peppercorns too. Brought it all to a boil, then simmered it down. Skimming is key here. You gotta keep spooning off that foamy stuff that comes to the top. If you don’t, your broth ends up looking a bit sad and murky. Took about an hour and a half, maybe a bit more, until the chicken was cooked through and pretty much falling off the bone.
Then I fished out the chicken and the spent veggies. Put the chicken aside to cool down a bit – trying to shred a boiling hot chicken is no fun, believe me. Strained the broth through a fine sieve. That golden liquid, that’s the good stuff.
Building Up the Soup
While the chicken was cooling, I got on with the rest of the veg. For the soup itself, I used:
- More carrots, diced small.
- Some bell peppers, red ones for a bit of color, also diced.
- A bit of celeriac, because I like that earthy taste.
I chopped everything up pretty fine. Poured that lovely clear broth back into a clean pot, brought it to a simmer, and threw in these fresh veggies. Let them cook until they were tender but not mushy. Nobody likes mushy veg.
By now, the chicken was cool enough to handle. So I got my hands dirty and shredded all the meat. Pulled it all off the bones. It’s a bit of a job, but it’s got to be done. Set the shredded chicken aside.
The Creamy Part – Getting it Smooth
Now for the bit that makes this soup what it is: the creamy, tangy enrichment. I got a separate bowl. In went a good few egg yolks – maybe three or four. To that, a big dollop of sour cream. And I mean a BIG dollop. This isn’t diet food. Then, garlic. Lots of it, crushed. I like it garlicky. Whisked all that together until it was smooth.
Here’s where you need to be a bit careful. You can’t just dump this cold creamy mix into hot soup, or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs. Not good. So, I ladled some of the hot broth, a little at a time, into the egg and sour cream mixture, whisking constantly. This warms it up gently. Kept doing that until the bowl felt warm. They call it tempering, I think. Whatever it’s called, it works.
Bringing It All Together and Finishing Touches
Once the veggies in the pot were cooked, I added the shredded chicken back into the soup. Gave it a good stir. Then, I slowly poured the tempered egg and sour cream mixture into the pot, stirring gently as I went. The soup immediately turned this lovely creamy white color. You don’t want to boil it hard after this point, just keep it at a gentle heat.
For the final touches, a good squeeze of lemon juice. This really brightens it up and gives it that characteristic tang. And fresh dill. Lots of fresh dill, chopped. I chucked that in right at the end. Maybe a bit more salt and pepper to taste.
So, How Was It?
And that was that. Ciorba Raduteana, done. Ladled it out into bowls. It looked pretty good, if I do say so myself. The taste? It was rich, but not too heavy. Tangy from the lemon and sour cream, garlicky, and the dill just finished it off perfectly. The chicken was tender. Yeah, pretty happy with how this one turned out. A solid, hearty soup. Definitely making this again. It’s a bit of work, sure, but worth it in the end.
