Sorrel Soup
Sorrel Soup
If you aren’t familiar with sorrel, you should be. This easy to grow perennial produces clumps of bright green leaves that have a distinct lemon/citrus flavor. There is wild sorrel, but it is so easy to grow, why not free up a little space to grow your own? The cultivated variety is also known as French Sorrel. French Sorrel has large leaves, much larger than wild varieties. It can sometimes be found in specialty food stores and farm markets, but it is not easy to find for sale. One more reason to grow your own. I use sorrel to make soup, but young leaves are great in salads and sauces as well. I make a sauce for seafood with sour cream and sorrel. So good.
I normally have sorrel in my garden, but sadly, the deer got mine this Spring. I was lucky enough to get some from a friend. I knew right away I was going to make soup with it. This soup is part of my growing up. My Polish grandmother would make it when she got sorrel. She had to rely on wild sorrel, until I started growing it. My mom made this soup, too.
Sorrel soup is a creamy potato soup, with lots of chopped sorrel added at the end. It changes from bright green to an olive green in a minute or two, once added to the hot soup. It gives the soup a green, citrus flavor. I love it.
Sorrel Soup
2 medium onions, chopped
2 T. butter
2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 qt. chicken or vegetable stock
1 qt. milk or half and half
1/3 –1/2 c. flour
1 lb. Sorrel leaves, washed and spun dry, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
In soup pot sauté onions in butter until tender. Add vegetables, stock and 3 cups of the milk. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. In a container, with a tight fitting lid, place the flour with the remaining milk and shake until mixture is smooth. Pour into hot soup and simmer 3-4 minutes. Use more or less flour depending on how thick you like your soup. Toss in sorrel, adjust seasonings and serve. Garnish with snipped chives, if desired. Serves 6-8.
Fresh Sorrel
