Creamy Sorrel Soup Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Carrot

by: thirschfeld

September10,2012

4.4

7 Ratings

  • Serves 4

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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

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  • Brenda Wilkins

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  • Michael

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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

Where does sorrel soup come from? ›

Sorrel soup is common throughout Europe, with nearly countless versions, from the delicate French soup to a hearty soup from Eastern Europe known as green borscht.

What do you use sorrel for? ›

Sorrel is a herb with a sharp, lemony flavour. Highly regarded in France, where the leaves are used in soups and sauces, sorrel can also be served with fish and egg dishes. Only the younger leaves, available in the springtime, should be used in salads.

What is the name of the variety of borscht in which the main ingredient is sorrel? ›

Green Borscht: When spring rolls in, so does green borscht, also known as sorrel soup. It's a lighter fare with zesty young sorrel leaves, potatoes, and a chopped egg, usually finished with a swirl of sour cream.

How to make a smooth soup? ›

How do you make soup smooth? For a soup with a smooth consistency, work with veggies that are soft but not mushy. Additionally, streaming oil or cream into the soup can better emulsify the ingredients for a silkier texture. Blender features can also play a major role in getting your soup to the right consistency.

What is sorrel called in America? ›

Sorrel (Rumex acetosa), also called common sorrel or garden sorrel, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock ('dock' being a common name for the genus Rumex).

Is Sorrel Soup good for you? ›

It's rich in antioxidants and nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, and magnesium. It may support heart health and fight cancer, although more human research is needed. It can be used to make herbal tea, taken as a supplement, or enjoyed in dishes like soups, salads, and sauces.

Who should not eat sorrel? ›

Children: It is UNSAFE give wood sorrel to children. It contains crystals made of oxalic acid that can damage the organs. 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.

What does sorrel do to the blood? ›

Sorrel might slow blood clotting. Taking sorrel along with medications that also slow blood clotting might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.

Is sorrel good for your stomach? ›

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.

Which soup is considered the most traditional in Ukraine? ›

Borshch (sometimes written as borsch, borsht, bortsch, or borshch) is a sour soup with distinctive red colour. Usually, the ingredients are meat, beetroots, cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes. It can be served either hot or cold, and it can also be white or green, depending on the ingredients.

What is the best type of sorrel? ›

French sorrel is the preferred variety for culinary use. It grows throughout Europe, in almost all soils and situations. The arrow shaped leaves have a bright, lemony flavor, and are good additions to soups, stews, sandwiches, and salads. Cooking greatly reduces the tartness.

What is sorrel called in Jamaica? ›

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.

How can I make my soup more creamy? ›

Method 1: Whisk in a slurry of cornstarch or flour

Add equal parts water or soup liquid to the flour or cornstarch and whisk until they're completely combined in a slurry. Once you've created the slurry, slowly whisk it into soup liquid and bring it back to a simmer.

What not to do when making soup? ›

The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Make Cooking Soup
  1. Boiling instead of simmering. You want a small bubble or two to rise to the surface of the liquid every few seconds. ...
  2. Not using enough salt. ...
  3. Ignoring water. ...
  4. Overcooking the vegetables. ...
  5. Adding tomatoes at the beginning. ...
  6. Neglecting to garnish. ...
  7. Not trying a pressure cooker.
Nov 19, 2014

What kind of cream do you use for soup? ›

Double cream

It contains no thickeners, boasts 45 to 60 per cent milk fat, and is ideal for dollopping on your desserts, adding to your baking and stirring into soups and slow-cooked meals (we're talking rich, comforting goulash here) to give that extra creamy texture and taste.

Where did Jamaican sorrel originate? ›

"It's just essentially a nod to ancestral traditional red drinks that crossed the Atlantic during the Atlantic slave trade." Red drinks made from Roselle hibiscus have spread far and wide. A version of the drink is "known as bissap to many African countries," Miller says. "Then it became sorrel in Jamaica.

Is sorrel native to Jamaica? ›

Hibiscus sabdariffa also known as Roselle and Jamaican Sorrel is not indigenous to Jamaica. In fact, it is found all around the world.

What countries drink sorrel? ›

Making this burgundy treat is a Christmas tradition in many Caribbean countries including Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, St. Lucia, Grenada, Montserrat, Dominica, Antigua, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago.

What is Jamaican sorrel made of? ›

In the Caribbean, the popular terms are hibiscus or sorrel, as it is made from the hibiscus sabdariffa flower. The plant is native to India, but can grow as an annual in all climates. The fleshy, red calyxes that surround the base of the flowers are what we brew to make sorrel, the drink.

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