Sorrel is a perennial plant that grows easily in a kitchen garden and has many applications. It can be used as a herb, a leafy green to spice up a salad, or the main focus of a tasty cold sorrel soup, just perfect for a hot, summer day.

Former chef, culinary educator, and food activist, Michele Knaus, demonstrates how to make a homemade Sorrel Soup from sorrel gathered from her own backyard garden. A leek is one of the ingredients also used, and Knaus explains the best way to clean the leek, who also advocates saving some of the outer leaves for a future vegetable stock.

Though originally meant to be served cold, Knaus says it is also good served hot or even at room temperature. She says the flavor is delicate and lemony and recommends eating it with a crusty loaf of bread and some good cheese.

How To Make Sorrel Soup recipe

Recipe courtesy of Michele Knauss
Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 leek, white and bright green parts only, washed and sliced
3 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
2 cups potatoes, peeled and small diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2–3 cups sorrel leaves, washed and roughly chopped
1 t. fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 T. fresh parsley leaves, chopped
2-3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 c. half and half

add hot sauce, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a heavy soup pot, melt butter with olive oil, then add leek. Sauté for five minutes over medium heat until softened, then add potatoes, sorrel, garlic, thyme and parsley, and stir.
Add 1/2-1 cup of stock, enough to cover the vegetables and allow to gently simmer for another 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. Add stock as needed to keep potatoes covered with liquid.
Transfer 2 cups of soup mixture to the blender. BE VERY CAREFUL BLENDING HOT LIQUID! Do not fill blender more than 1/3 of the way full, and put a towel over the top of the blender. Hold the top on as you turn the blender on. Puree the soup in batches, pouring puree into a new pot.
Add additional stock, half and half, a few dashes of hot sauce, 1/2 t. salt and 1 t. black pepper to reach the desired thickness and flavor of the soup.

Serve this hot, or chilled. Flavor will continue to improve over the next 24 hours.