Sorrel Soup

A part of the lettuce family, sorrel is often used as a salad green and looks like spinach but paler green in color. It has a tangy, lemony flavor with hints of gooseberry. Also known as “sour grass” or erba brusca in Italy, Sorrel also makes a delicious and refreshing soup such as in this recipe adapted from Cooking with an Accent by Isabella Gaylord. Cooked with chicken stock, onions, potatoes, rosemary, and cream, and garnished with chervil, sorrel soup can be served either cold or hot and makes a fantastic first course. One of the easy soup recipes that's originally from Gourmandia.

In this recipe, the lemony and tangy flavor of sorrel is tempered with the richness of cream and the delicate texture and flavor of potatoes to make a well-balanced and harmonious dish. There are many varieties of sorrel, and this recipe uses the cultivated French sorrel variety, also known as Rumex scutatus. Other varieties of sorrel like Garden sorrel (Rumex acetosa) and sheep’s sorrel (Rumex ascetosella) can also be used.

Difficulty Level

Easy

Ingredients

½ lb. fresh French sorrel (washed, drained, and minced)

1 large onion (minced)

4 tablespoons butter

4 cups chicken stock

3 boiled potatoes

½ teaspoon dry rosemary

½ pint cream

2 tablespoons fresh chervil (minced)

Preparation Instructions

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender. Add the sorrel and chicken stock. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the potatoes and rosemary. Cook for 30 minutes. Using an immersion blender, traditional blender, or food processor, puree the onion mixture. Mix in the cream.

Serve hot or cold and sprinkled with chervil.