Polish Sorrel Soup with Egg and Potatoes

Polish sorrel soup is a lightly tangy broth with potatoes and chopped sorrel. Cook the vegetables first, then add the sorrel and finish with sour cream. Add hard-boiled eggs to the bowls just before serving. This recipe makes about four servings.

Ingredients for a pot of soup

• 1.5 litres vegetable or chicken stock
• 200 g fresh sorrel
• 400 g potatoes
• 1 carrot and 1 small onion
• 1 tablespoon butter or oil
• 100 ml 18% sour cream suitable for soups
• 4 eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: 1 tablespoon chopped dill

Sorrel gives the soup a distinct tang, so there is no need to add lemon juice or vinegar at first. If using jarred sorrel, check its ingredients and add it gradually: it may already be salty and very sour. The amount depends on its flavour and how finely it is chopped.

Prepare the vegetables, sorrel and eggs

Peel and dice the potatoes. Peel and coarsely grate the carrot or cut it into thin slices. Finely chop the onion. Rinse the sorrel thoroughly in cold water, trim the tough stalks, then dry and chop the leaves. Changing the water several times helps remove sand from between the leaves.

Place the eggs in a saucepan of cold water. Once the water boils, cook for about 9 minutes, then transfer to cold water. When cool, peel and cut into halves or quarters. You can prepare them while the potatoes cook in the stock.

Cooking step by step

1. Heat the butter or oil in a pot. Add the onion and cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft. It does not need to brown.
2. Add the carrot and potatoes, stir and pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat.
3. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork.
4. Add the chopped sorrel and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the leaves change colour and soften.
5. Stir in tempered sour cream, season with pepper and salt if needed, and serve with the eggs and dill.

Cook the potatoes before adding the sorrel. Adding an acidic ingredient earlier may mean they take longer to soften. You can make chicken stock using this homemade chicken broth recipe.

Adding cream and seasoning the soup

Put the sour cream in a bowl and gradually stir in a few spoonfuls of hot soup. Pour the warmed mixture into the pot, stirring, and heat gently without boiling vigorously. Tempering reduces the chance of curdling and helps distribute the cream evenly.

Taste after adding the sorrel and cream. If the soup is too mild, add a little more prepared sorrel and simmer briefly. If it is too sour, add some stock and check the seasoning again. Add salt carefully, especially if the stock was already seasoned.

Serving and storage

Place a portion of egg in each bowl and ladle the hot soup over it. Add dill at the end to preserve its fresh aroma. The soup is also good with a slice of bread. You can serve the eggs separately to make portioning easier.

Cool leftover soup quickly and refrigerate in a closed container. Eat within 2 to 3 days and reheat thoroughly before serving. Store the eggs separately and add them to the reheated soup. For another tangy soup, try Polish pickle soup.

FAQ

Can I use frozen sorrel?

Yes. Add it after the potatoes are cooked. If it is chopped, there is no need to thaw it first. Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer and cook until the sorrel is hot.

What can I use instead of sour cream?

Leave it out for a clear soup, or add a little plain yoghurt. Temper the yoghurt too, and heat the soup very gently afterwards because yoghurt can curdle easily.

Why is my sorrel soup too sour?

The flavour depends on the amount and type of sorrel and the stock. Add a little stock and some potatoes for a larger, milder batch. Next time, add sorrel in stages and taste as you go.