Sorrel soup is a deliciously tangy springtime dish, simple to make and ready in under 30 minutes. It can be made with or without meat and although this particular recipe is vegetarian I have also included instructions for making sorrel soup with meat.
Sorrel soup is very popular in Poland during spring months. It is cheap and easy to make and has a distinctive tangy flavour I remember well from my childhood. Due to its popularity countless versions of this soup exist and today I am going to share my mum’s quick and easy sorrel soup recipe.
What does sorrel taste like
Sorrel (also called spinach dock), ‘szczaw’ in Polish, is a common spring garden plant which also grows in the wild. It looks a bit like spinach but tastes completely different. It can be eaten raw as well as cooked and has an intensely lemony sour flavour which is perfect for adding into salads, stews and soups.
In Poland this plant is most commonly used as a soup ingredient.
Sorrel soup ingredients
This soup is made using fresh sorrel leaves and a handful of simple vegetables including carrot, potato, celery root (celeriac) and onion. These are cooked with vegetable stock (use chicken stock if you prefer) along with a bay leaf and allspice berries.
I also added fresh parsley towards the end of cooking and thickened the soup with 2 eggs. If you prefer, however, you can hard boil the eggs separately (use 4-5) and add into the soup once it’s been cooked.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1.In a large pot heat up 1 tablespoon of oil, add the bay leaf, allspice, onion, carrot and celery root and cook gently for 5 minutes stirring often.
2. Add the potatoes, half the stock, cover and bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes (or until the potatoes are fully cooked).
3. Add the sorrel, parsley, the rest of the stock, cover, bring to the boil again then simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Slowly pour in the beaten egg stirring all the time and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, season to taste and serve.
How to cook sorrel soup with meat
Sorrel soup is often made with meat including ribs, turkey or chicken wings. Because it’s usually made using meat broth it’s often thickened with sour cream and flour and served with eggs and potatoes (cooked separately).
If you’d like to make a meat version of this soup here is how to do it:
1.Start by cooking the meat slowly with the onion, carrot, celery root (whole), parsley and 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 litre of water for about 40 minutes.
2. Next remove the meat and vegetables from the pot. Into the broth add the sorrel and cook for 5 minutes.
3. In a small dish combine 1 tablespoon of flour with 2 tablespoons of sour cream. Stir into the soup and cook for 2 minutes. Season to taste and serve with hard boiled eggs and cooked potatoes.
Here is an easy recipe for Polish chicken soup (rosol) which you may like to use as the basis for your sorrel soup.
How to serve this soup
You can make this soup with the egg in it, as I have done, or hard boil it separately and add into individual portions.
Sorrel soup is often served with sour cream or cream (to offset the sourness). You can also garnish it with dill and chives.
Expert tips and FAQs
- You can use both the leaves as well as the stem of the sorrel (chop the stem quite finely).
- Sorrel will stay fresh stored in a plastic bag and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- If you prefer to use sorrel from a jar add 3-4 tablespoons or to taste. Polish delicatessens sell sorrel in jars.
- I used 2 medium eggs but you can use 1 (large) if you prefer. Cook them in the soup, as I have done, or hard boil separately then add to individual portions.
- Add a tablespoon of soy sauce for more depth of flavour if you like.
- Be generous with the seasoning, especially the pepper. White pepper works well.
- This soup tastes even better the next day. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
You might also like
- Beet Greens Vegetable Soup
- Polish Kohlrabi Soup (Zupa z Kalarepy)
- Simple Vegetarian Borscht Soup Recipe
- Polish Tomato Rice Soup (Pomidorowa z Ryzem)
Check out also this collection of over 12 creamy vegan soups.
Keep in touch!
Do you have a favourite way of making sorrel soup? I'd love to know what it is. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Recipe
Polish Sorrel Soup (Zupa Szczawiowa)
Ingredients
- 3.53 ounces (100 g) fresh sorrel
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 1 medium carrot peeled, finely diced
- 1.41 ounces (40 g) celery root small piece, peeled, finely diced
- 3 medium potatoes peeled, finely cubed
- 4 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 allspice berries
- 4⅕ cups (1 l) vegetable stock hot
- 1-2 eggs
Instructions
- In a large pot heat up 1 tablespoon of oil, add the bay leaf, allspice, onion, carrot and celery root and cook gently for 5 minutes stirring often.
- Add the potatoes, half the stock, cover and bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes (or until the potatoes are fully cooked).
- Add the sorrel, parsley, the rest of the stock, cover, bring to the boil again then simmer for 5 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the beaten egg stirring all the time and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, season to taste and serve.
Notes
- You can use both the leaves as well as the stem of the sorrel (chop the stem quite finely).
- Sorrel will stay fresh stored in a plastic bag and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- If you prefer to use sorrel from a jar add 3-4 tablespoons or to taste. Polish delicatessens sell sorrel in jars.
- I used 2 medium eggs but you can use 1 (large) if you prefer. Cook them in the soup, as I have done, or hard boil separately then add to individual portions.
- Add a tablespoon of soy sauce for more depth of flavour if you like.
- Be generous with the seasoning, especially the pepper. White pepper works well.
- See the post for making sorrel soup with meat.
- This soup tastes even better the next day. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Jane says
Finally found the recipe at the bottom!! Lol sorry
Jane says
There is no quantities shown!!
Sharon Hug says
Monika. This soup looks so similar to the delicious soup my Grandmother made with sorrel except for the celery root but I imagine it would simply improve the flavor. Thank you for the sweet memory. She and my Mother were both incredible cooks. I’m an Ohio native; many good Polish (and Italian) cooks. I’m blessed to have a heritage that stays with me in my everyday cooking.
Thank you.
Sharon
Monika says
Hi Sharon, I am glad my recipe brought back good memories:) You are correct, the celery root adds more flavour, it's a very common ingredient in many Polish soups.