Let’s talk about time travel. The hot & sticky kind. The kind that you do alone in the kitchen after going to great lengths to bring home a small sour bunch of spring greens. If we’re honest, aren’t we always cooking back to something?
When I make sorrel soup in the spring, I reassemble my favorite market back home in Montana. First, the old woman with the tiny card table full of the only green thing stubborn enough to brave spring in the Rockies. She told me it was like spinach and—oh my goodness—it is not like spinach. Then, her refusal to sell me anything until the market bell had rung, making its opening official. I couldn’t sleep—still can’t—and the only cure for that sort of thing is buying vegetables.
I cook back to a cool quiet morning, the cleansing bite of sorrel, and home.
Sorrel Soup
Ingredients
- 2 large (100 g) shallots, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves (12 g) garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 small (85 g) carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 large (380 g) potato, peeled and cubed
- 3 generous handfuls (90 g) sorrel, with large stems removed
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 5 or more cups water or stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig rosemary
- salt and pepper to taste
- a good pour of olive oil
Cooking Directions
- Saute shallots and garlic in olive oil until translucent, over low heat.
- Add carrot and potato and saute 3 or so minutes more.
- Pour in the wine then add the water/stock. Drop in the bay leaf and rosemary.
- Increase the heat to high. Bring it to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a simmer.
- Cover and cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Keep an eye on the liquid level. You'll likely need to add more as you go. The potatoes should always be just about covered.
- When the potatoes are done remove from the heat and stir in the sorrel. It should wilt immediately and turn a much less pretty color. If not, put the lid back on the pot and let it sit for a few.
- Remove the bay leaf and rosemary stick and blend, adding more liquid as necessary.
- Serve immediately. Garnish with something creamy or crunchy if you'd like.
More Sorrel Soup:
- Chilled Sorrel Soup from TLC Cooking
- Gabrielle Hamilton’s Sorrel Soup from New York Magazine
- Sorrel Soup from Gastronomer’s Guide
About autumn
Autumn Giles is the creator of Autumn Makes & Does and the co-host of the Alphabet Soup Podcast.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
So how would you describe the flavor? I’ve really only used sorrel in small doses.
Stephanie, it has a tart, acidic bite that I really enjoy. Lemony!
Thanks for replying!
I finally got my hands on some sorrel last summer after years of hearing about it, but not finding it anywhere. Definitely not like spinach, but I love it. I’m hoping I’ll be able to find some this year.
The sorrel in my garden has roared back to life. It got eaten by critters last year before I got a chance to try it — this looks perfect!
Kalinda, I hope you get some too!
Sara, although I can’t blame the critters, I hope they leave some for you 🙂
How gorgeous is this soup? How lovely is your prose? (These are totally rhetorical questions, as I am bowled over by both…)
Happy Spring!
I’m definitely blushing over here. Thank you! Happy spring to you too and I hope you’re enjoying some pretty spring greens in your neck of the woods.
{ 2 trackbacks }