Creamy Sorrel Soup Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Carrot

by: thirschfeld

September10,2012

4.4

7 Ratings

  • Serves 4

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

This soup is built for comfort. In all honesty it is nothing more then creamy vegetable soup with rice but when you add the sorrel something sublime happens and you end up with a soup that is extraordinary. —thirschfeld

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoonsunsalted butter
  • 1 cupyellow onion, small dice
  • 1/4 cupcarrots, peeled and diced small
  • 1/4 cupcelery, washed, trimmed and small dice
  • 2 cupsstarchy potatoes, small dice
  • 1/3 cupbasmati rice
  • 4 cupsvegetable broth
  • 1 cupcream
  • 2 1/2 cupssorrel, washed, spun dry and chopped
  • 2 teaspoonsfresh thyme, minced
  • kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Directions
  1. Place a 3 quart enameled Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter and as it melts add the onions, carrots and celery. Season them with a two finger pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper.
  2. Let the vegetables sweat until tender then add the potatoes, rice and vegetable stock. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer.
  3. Cook until the rice and potatoes are tender. Anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes. Once they are tender add the cream, sorrel and fresh thyme. Heat the soup through and until the sorrel is wilted. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
  4. Serve.

Tags:

  • Soup
  • American
  • Celery
  • Thyme
  • Vegetable
  • Milk/Cream
  • Carrot
  • Vegetarian
  • Entree
  • Appetizer

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Tina Heaney

  • Brenda Wilkins

  • Arleigh Holzgen

  • Michael

  • Grace Harper

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25 Reviews

Tina H. October 31, 2020

This is a perennial favorite and I'm making it again now!

Brenda W. June 8, 2020

I forgot that I added after reading reviews only 1/2 of the cream. I used half-and-half that was plenty. I also use 5 cups of chicken stock to ensure that it would have more soup consistency with the rice and potatoes .

Brenda W. June 8, 2020

I planted sorrel and was surpried at how easy and quickly it grows. I made the soup yesterday and I added juice of 1/2 a lemon and sauted portobello mushrooms after reading someone had used morel mushrooms.That did it!! I even tried a little sherry drizzle!! I think it is also important that you really season the celery, potatoes and carrots...it needs it!!

Arleigh H. January 19, 2020

Love love this easy recipe! I couldn't find sorrel so substituted spinach and 1.5 TBS of red wine vinegar and it was amazing! Think this would even be good without the cream. Will be making this again. Thanks!!!

Michael May 27, 2015

Get this . . . in my mind I thought the magical addition was Morel mushrooms not Sorrel, and even after reading the recipe several times, it was destiny that lead me to here. And while I'm sure the sorrel adds something magestic; the flavor profile and the nutritional profile, by adding a pound Morel mushrooms that I picked up at the farmers market, bowled me over and keeps me coming back for more.

Maia B. May 21, 2015

I was looking through the comments and saw people had difficulty finding sorrel. It's easy easy to grow and comes back each year!

Grace H. April 21, 2015

This soup is fantastic! Very easy and filling! The sorrel really adds something special.

Joanna J. April 14, 2015

This soup came out amazing and not hard to make! Wanted to share a documentary on Renowned Women Chefs & any help you could provide to spread the word on it: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1479753293/celebrity-women-chefs-transforming-the-food-indust

RahChaChow November 27, 2013

Hi, I'm the director of marketing for a CSA program and, as part of my duties, make a dish for people to taste each week. I made your soup (with a few small variations) and it was a hit! Our sorrel disappeared! People were saying that it was like a soup you'd have a good restaurant. Thanks so much for a STELLAR recipe!

Annie S. September 3, 2013

I also wanted to find Sorrel and not eve WFM hadit. I remembered from my childhood that my Polish and Ukrainian friends had soups with Sorrel. So I checked out ethnic markets and found them to be the cheapest and most reliable source. ( I live in Chicago which has a large eastern European population.)

I A. August 26, 2013

I say once again..... where do you get sorrel? Please! Thank you!

Greenstuff August 31, 2013

You don't say where you live. I get my sorrel from my garden, and I've found that to be the most convenient for a pretty wide climate range--places that get snow and places that don't freeze at all. It's a perennial, and you can pick it in the spring through fall. Sorrel is also available a grocery stores, but only if you live in places that have pretty great grocery stores, and at farmers' markets.

marialissio August 24, 2013

I cooked this yesterday. Held back on the rice, doubled the celery and carrots, ran wild with a range of green leaves and green herbs from the garden, and went very light with the cream ... and still it was delightful. In hot weather I seem to need to minimize the starch. The potatoes were enough. I'll back up in winter and cook this exactly by your recipe Tom. As always you lead by example. Love your work.

Elizabeth August 12, 2013

I always add a tablespoon or two of cream sherry to creamy mushroom or chowders, really enhances cream soups in my opinion.

bcstarke September 20, 2012

Great soup!

Sorrels weren't available for me, so I substituted Chantrelles and it was good - but a litte too much cream - I would recommend halving the cream if substituting a more subtle mushroom.

Also, I added a tbsp of rice wine vinegar at the end to bring out a little more of the brightness.

mwm September 19, 2012

This soup is just fantastic, elegant. And so much easier, imho, than the traditional sorrel soup... thanks so much for this recipe. I used 1/2 and 1/2 instead of cream....did not notice the difference.

I A. September 19, 2012

sorrel? Where does one acquire sorrel? When is it in season?

rparagus September 17, 2012

Thank you half pint. That is what i wanted to know

rparagus September 17, 2012

Thank you half pint. That is what i wanted to know

rparagus September 16, 2012

Can you use swiss chard instead of sorrel?

HalfPint September 17, 2012

No, sorrel has a tart flavor that is missing in swiss chard. You can substitute in the chard, but it's a totally different soup in flavor.

bthelove September 16, 2012

I have sorrel in my garden and I'm usually at a loss for what to do with it. Is it bitter in the fall?

Creamy Sorrel Soup Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the flavor of sorrel? ›

Used interchangeably as an herb and salad green, sorrel is a flavorful ingredient known for its sour, acidic taste reminiscent of lemon zest. The name sorrel, which comes from the French word surele and Germanic word sur, both meaning sour, is fitting of this notably tangy produce.

What is the secret to soup? ›

7 Tips for Successful Soup Making
  • Use a Sturdy Pot. It is worth investing in a heavy pot with a thick bottom to use for making soup. ...
  • Sauté the Aromatics. ...
  • Start with Good Broth. ...
  • Cut Vegetables to the Right Size. ...
  • Stagger the Addition of Vegetables. ...
  • Keep Liquid at a Simmer. ...
  • Season Just Before Serving.
Oct 9, 2022

Where does sorrel soup come from? ›

The soups name comes ultimately from the Proto-Slavic ščаvь for sorrel. Due to its commonness as a soup in Eastern European cuisines, it is often called green borscht, as a cousin of the standard, reddish-purple beetroot borscht.

What do you do with sorrel in cooking? ›

Preparation. Because of its bitter flavour, sorrel is often combined with other ingredients. It can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in soups, purées and stuffings and goes particularly well with fish and egg dishes.

Who should not eat sorrel? ›

One four-year old child died after eating rhubarb leaves, which also contain oxalic acid. Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Wood sorrel is UNSAFE for both mothers and infants. Avoid use. Blood-clotting (coagulation) problems: Chemicals in wood sorrel can make blood clot too fast.

What is a sorrel called in America? ›

Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock ('dock' being a common name for the genus Rumex). L. Acetosa agrestis Raf. Acetosa amplexicaulis Raf.

Is Sorrel Soup good for you? ›

Improved digestion: Sorrel is a good source of fiber, which helps to promote healthy bowel movements and digestion. It may help to reduce constipation, and can also help in preventing heart disease by reducing cholesterol.

What is a good substitute for sorrel in soup? ›

Still, if you do run across a recipe with sorrel in it and you want to find a substitute, you could simply add some lemon juice or lemon zest. Mustard greens, arugula, rhubarb, and even spinach, along with a squeeze of lemon juice, can also stand in for sorrel.

Is sorrel a laxative? ›

The fresh or dried leaves are considered astringent, diuretic (increasing urination), laxative (softening the bowel), and cooling. Juice of the leaf has also been applied topically for the treatment of itchy skin and for treatment of ringworm.

Does sorrel detox your body? ›

Sorrel can be used as a detoxifying food as it is rich in vitamin C. Sorrel is an excellent diuretic and purgative since it contains flavonoids and other antioxidants. This aids in the elimination of toxic poisons from the body. Protocatechuic acid, found in sorrel leaves, assists in bodily detoxification.

Are sorrel and hibiscus the same? ›

Sorrel is the Jamaican name for a type of hibiscus flower known as the Roselle. The dried sepals (the outer parts) of the hibiscus flower create a versatile and colorful red liquid when infused with hot water.

What does sorrel drink do for the body? ›

Sorrel is used for reducing sudden and ongoing pain and swelling (inflammation) of the nasal passages and respiratory tract, for treating bacterial infections along with conventional medicines, and for increasing urine flow (as a diuretic). Sorrel is also an ingredient in the herbal cancer treatment Essiac.

What tastes like sorrel? ›

Sorrel is fruity like rhubarb. It is tart like lemon. It is herbal like basil. And it can be treated like all three.

What does sorrel do to the body? ›

Sorrel is used for reducing sudden and ongoing pain and swelling (inflammation) of the nasal passages and respiratory tract, for treating bacterial infections along with conventional medicines, and for increasing urine flow (as a diuretic). Sorrel is also an ingredient in the herbal cancer treatment Essiac.

Are sorrel and hibiscus the same thing? ›

Sorrel is the Jamaican name for a type of hibiscus flower known as the Roselle. The dried sepals (the outer parts) of the hibiscus flower create a versatile and colorful red liquid when infused with hot water.

Does sorrel taste like spinach? ›

Related to buckwheat, sorrel is a green, leafy vegetable that has a pretty different taste from other leafy greens. Instead of that grassy taste you may get (it doesn't taste grassy to me, but everyone is different), it's actually bitter and tangy tasting, similar to a Granny Smith apple or kiwi.

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