A Little Leaf Known as Sorrel

When I was younger, we had a garden in our back yard where we would grow tomaotes, cucumbers and lots of green leafy sorrel. Whenever I had non-Polish friends come over, they would question why we were growing green leaves in our garden. I even had one friend tell their mom that they ate leaf soup at my house because they didn’t know what it was.

Sorrel is a green leafy herb or vegetable that is widely prevalent in Poland, but difficult to find fresh in the United States, unless you have access to a Polish or Russian market. It is more widely available in jarred form, which is just as good as fresh when used in soup.

Sorrel soup, better known to me as zupa szczawiowa, is one of the most often made foods in my house because it’s my father’s favorite, and one of the few things he knows how to cook himself. As much as I hated having to eat this soup as a child, it has become one of my favorites.  Sorrel has a sour and acidic taste when you try to eat to raw, but when you cook it in soup, it gives the soup a tangy flavor. The soup is also traditionally served with hard boiled egg to counteract the acidity of the soup.

If you ever go to a Polish restaurant, I highly recommend that you try it because it will definitely be on the menu. If you want to try to make it yourself, I’ll share our secret family recipe. Just kidding, there’s nothing secret about it, but it is delicious.

Sorrel Soup (Zupa Szczawiowa)

• 2 large or 6 baby carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 peeled and cubed medium potatoes
• 6 cups beef stock
• 1/2 pound fresh sorrel, washed and chopped or 2/3 cup jarred sorrel
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered

In a large saucepan, combine beef stock, carrots, celery and bring to a boil.  Add in bayleaf, potatoes and only FRESH sorrel; simmer until vegetables are tender. If using jarred sorrel, add after the vegetables are tender. In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream and flour adding a ladle of hot soup to temper the mixture. Stir sour cream back into soup and simmer a bit longer until the soup starts to thicken. Season to taste and pour soup into bowls, garnishing with hard boiled egg.

Now it’s time for some breakfast. Too bad I don’t know what I want. Does anyone else have this problem day after day?

Happy one day until Friday!

What are your favorite traditional family dishes?