Hello Everyone!

This week I want to introduce you to Sorrel. Sorrel can be recognized by their pale green, sword shaped leaves and sharp, lemony flavor from the oxalic acid found in the leaves. Sorrel can be used to spice up salads, to wrap around fish, or in soups and butter sauces as the French do. Sorrel is paired well with potatoes and caramelized onions. This recipe is from Chez Panisse Vegetables.

Sorrel Soup

Ingredients:

• I medium boiling potato
• 1 cup chicken stock
  1 medium yellow onion
• 1 large bunch sorrel
• I small carrot
• ¼ cup cream or half and half Parsley
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• I sprig thyme
• Optional: 2 ounces smoked bacon
• Salt and pepper
• 2 1/3 cups water

Directions:

Peel and dice the potato, onion, and carrot. Melt the butter in a 3 or 4-quart saucepan and add the diced vegetables and the thyme. Pour in 1/3-cup water, cover, and stew gently for about 15 minutes with the lid ajar. Season with salt and pepper, add 2 more cups water and the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, and stew another 15 minutes with the lid ajar, until the potato is soft and easily mashed with a spoon.

Meanwhile, wash and stem the sorrel, and chop the leaves into a rough chiffonade. When the vegetables are done, add the sorrel, and return the soup to a simmer. Turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.

Puree the soup in a blender and pass through a medium – mesh sieve into a stainless steel bowl. Stir in the cream; taste and adjust the seasoning; let the soup cool to room temperature.

Chop enough parsley fine to make about 1 tablespoon. If you chose to garnish the soup with bacon, fry it now, chop it fine, rind removed, and then pound it to paste in a mortar. Mix it together with the chopped parsley. Warm the soup without boiling, pour into a warm tureen, and stir in the bacon and parsley paste, or garnish with chopped parsley alone.