Instructions
Follow the steps and taste along the way.
Prepare the rice and vegetables
Rinse the rice in cold water and drain. Cut the onion, carrot, celeriac, and bell pepper into small dice; dice the tomatoes separately.
Make the soup base
Heat the oil in a pot. Add 100 g onion, the carrot, celeriac, and bell pepper, and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and the vegetables become fragrant but do not brown. Stir in the tomatoes, pour in 1,500 ml water, add 7 g salt, and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 12 minutes.
Shape the meatballs
In a bowl, combine the ground pork, drained rice, egg, 50 g chopped onion, 2 g salt, and black pepper. Mix until evenly combined. With damp hands, shape the mixture into 16 small meatballs, about 3 cm in diameter.
Cook the meatballs in the soup
Carefully add the meatballs to the gently bubbling soup. Do not stir them for the first 5 minutes, then stir the soup gently. Cook for another 15 minutes over low heat; the meatballs should be firm and thoroughly cooked, and the rice in the center should be tender.
Add the sour borș and herbs
Bring the borș to a boil in a small saucepan and boil for 2 minutes. Pour it into the soup, add the lovage and parsley, and let everything simmer gently together for 3 minutes. Taste: the soup should be distinctly sour but not sharply acidic; if needed, add exactly 1 g salt. Serve hot.
