Mixed Wild Sorrel Soup Recipe

The weather has been glorious, so I have taken the opportunity for a few walks and to update my collection of wild food images, ready to have a go at writing my book.

What struck me was the range of wild food available, even in the midst of December. The wild carrots and sorrel were doing particularly well. Within a very short distance I had plenty of sheep's sorrel (Rumex acetosella), common sorrel (Rumex acetosa) and wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella).

Image showing sheep's sorrel, left (with the arrow shaped leaves) and common sorrel, tight with the more rounded leaves.

Though I only had my rucksack and my camera with me, I was able to collect several handfuls of sorrel leaves and I had a debate as to whether to make sorrel soup or sorrel tarts. The cold weather eventually made the decision for me and I made sorrel soup, predominantly with common sorrel, but with a little sheep's sorrel thrown in for good measure.

Though the soup made here was prepared with wild sorrel, it works just as well made with garden sorrel.

Mixed Wild Sorrel Soup Recipe

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 generous handfuls of common sorrel leaves
1/2 handful of sheep's sorrel leaves
1 onion, finely chopped (or the equivalent of leeks)
1 leafy celery stick, finely diced
1 potato, peeled and cubed
500ml good meat or vegetable stock
oil or butter for frying
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat the oil or butter in a pan, add the onion and celery and sweat down gently for about 10 minutes, or until beginning to brown.

Add the potatoes and fry for a few minutes more then add the stock. Cover and cook gently for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost tender.

In the meantime pick over and wash the sorrel leaves and shred finely. Reserve about 1 tbsp of the shredded common sorrel leaves for garnish.

Add the sorrel leaves and simmer gently for about 10 minutes more. Take the soup off the heat and allow to cool slightly then turn into a blender and process until smooth.

Turn back into the pan and add a little water or milk if it's too thick. Adjust the seasonings to taste, allow to heat through then divide between two warmed soup bowls.

Garnish with the reserved shredded sorrel and serve accompanied by plenty of crusty bread.


For more wild food recipes on this blog, see the Wild Food Recipes page.

If you are interested in wild foods and preparing them, then the Celtnet Recipes site has over a thousand recipes for wild foods of every kind on their Wild Food Recipes pages.