Steamy Sorrel Soup

Ask of Eastern Market, and you shall receive. On a recent trip to Eastern Market I made the decision to branch out and buy at least one ingredient I had never used before.

Strolling along the stalls I came across all sorts of herbs, vegetables and fruits, but nothing my Food Network saturated mind hadn’t seen until I got to the leafy greens. And there it was…French Sorrel, in all its glory.

Leafy...

The leaves are shaped like oversized arugula but a have a taste all their own. Eating raw sorrel is jarring for many, as it has a distinct acidic taste, almost lemony. The attendant said she had heard of people using sorrel in soups and although I was skeptical, I gave it a go.

Nicole and I pieced this recipe together and were pleasantly surprised to find that the acidic taste of the sorrel ends up as nothing more than an afterthought in the overall soup, so no need to pucker up.

1/2 pound Sorrel (around 4-5 cups), chopped
1 Onion, chopped
10 stalks Asparagus, chopped
5 Red Potatoes, chopped
2 cans Vegetable or Chicken Broth
2 cups Water
Butter, a few tablespoons
Scallions, chopped
Creme Fraiche (sour cream)

Potato-y...

Put a big pot on the stove on medium heat.  Throw in a little butter and a 1/2 cup of water.  Add the chopped sorrel to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, covered.  Then throw in the potatoes and the onion.  Keep covered and cook for another 10 minutes.

Add the 2 cans of stock and 1 1/2 cups water.  Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for around 30 minutes.  Add the asparagus.  Once the potatoes are soft, mash up half of them in the soup and cook for a few more minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve this soup in a nice deep bowl and top with chopped scallions and a dallop of creme fraiche.  If you’ve got some crusty bread, this is the time to use it!

Steamy.