This soup is perfect for a rainy spring day. The bowl was handcrafted by Libby Gwynn. (Kayte Young/WFIU)
I have a French sorrel plant in a perennial garden bed near my front porch. I’ve had it for years, it comes back every spring. Sorrel is a delicate leafy green with a distinctive lemony taste. I never know quite how to cook with it, but when I tried this soup recipe last year, I loved everything about it. It is rich and satisfying, but still light and fresh-tasting. It’s a nice soup for spring or summer, and it’s simple to prepare. You can probably find sorrel at one of the local farmers markets, or possibly at the grocery store. If you have some growing in your garden, you can start there.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, small dice
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced small
- 1 stalk of celery, trimmed and diced small
- 2 small potatoes, small dice
- 1/3 cup basmati or jasmine rice
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (heat first with parmesan rinds for added richness)
- 1 cup cream
- 2 1/2 cups French sorrel, washed, spun dry and chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely minced
- salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
Heat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the butter and when melted, add the onions, carrots and celery. Season with a teaspoon or more of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper.
Cook the vegetables until tender then add the potatoes, rice and vegetable stock. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cook until the rice and potatoes are tender--around 20 minutes. Once tender add the cream, sorrel and fresh thyme. Heat the soup through and when the sorrel is wilted, it is ready to serve. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If you make this ahead of time, hold off on adding the cream and the sorrel until shortly before serving. You don’t want the cream to separate, and you want the sorrel to be fresh and bright.
This recipe was adapted from one by THIRSCHFELD found on Food 52.
