Polish Sorrel Soup

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 04/6/22
Polish Sorrel Soup

The Spruce / Ana Maria Stanciu

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 65 mins
Servings: 6 servings

This Polish recipe for sorrel soup or zupa szczawiowa (ZOO-pah shchtah-vee-YOH-vah) can be made in many different ways. This is just one variation. Fresh parsley adds extra flavor, potatoes give the soup some heft, and sour cream adds delicious creaminess and a slight tang.

Throughout Eastern Europe, sorrel is both domesticated and grown wild, and spring is the best time to pick the young tender leaves. Sorrel finds its way into soups, sauces (especially with salmon), stuffings, and, when young and tender, it is eaten raw in salads similar to baby spinach.​

Sorrel is high in vitamin A and contains some calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C, making it a healthy main ingredient for soup. Serve for a hot lunch or a light dinner with some crusty bread on the side.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups cold water

  • 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced

  • 1 bunch fresh parsley

  • 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

  • 1 bouillon cube, chicken or vegetable; or 1 tablespoon Vegeta

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 1/2 pound fresh sorrel, washed, stemmed as for spinach, and chopped

  • 1 cup sour cream

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Fresh dill, or parsley, chopped, for garnish

  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Polish Sorrel Soup ingredients

    The Spruce / Ana Maria Stanciu

  2. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, add the cold water, carrot, and parsley and bring to a boil over high heat, covered.

    Cold water, carrots, and parsley in a pot

    The Spruce / Ana Maria Stanciu

  3. Add the potatoes, bouillon cube, and bay leaf and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are tender.

    Potatoes, bouillon cube, and bay leaf in a pot

    The Spruce / Ana Maria Stanciu

  4. In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the sorrel for 10 minutes.

    Melt the butter and sauté the sorrel in a skillet

    The Spruce / Ana Maria Stanciu

  5. Transfer to the soup and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and remove the bay leaf.

    Add the sorrel to the pot of soup

    The Spruce / Ana Maria Stanciu

  6. In a heatproof bowl or measuring cup, use a fork to blend the sour cream with the flour.

    Sour cream and flour in a bowl

    The Spruce / Ana Maria Stanciu

  7. Temper by adding a few ladles of hot soup, whisking constantly until smooth.

    Temper the sour cream mixture with the hot soup

    The Spruce / Ana Maria Stanciu

  8. Transfer tempered sour cream and flour mixture to the soup pot, stir well. Season with salt and pepper.

    Soup with the sour cream mixture

    The Spruce / Ana Maria Stanciu

  9. Simmer until thickened and just under the boiling point. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

    Soup cooking in a pot

    The Spruce / Ana Maria Stanciu

  10. Portion the soup into heated bowls and garnish with chopped dill or parsley and hard-boiled egg quarters.

    Polish Sorrel Soup served in a bowl

    The Spruce / Ana Maria Stanciu

Recipe Variations

  • Add a mound of mashed potatoes to a plate or bowl, create a well in the middle and place the soup in it.
  • Include some slices of kielbasa in the soup, if not vegetarian.

Other Variations

  • In Russia and Ukraine, sorrel soup is known as shchavelya sup but is more commonly just called schav. This recipe for schav borscht is a Jewish version that can be eaten hot or cold, and it's a good candidate for Passover.
  • Polish spring beet soup is known as botwinka. It is made with young spring beets and their green tops, which have a spinach-kale flavor. In addition to being a taste sensation, the soup is packed with antioxidants along with vitamins A and C.

How to Store and Freeze

  • This soup can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
  • Sorrel soup can be frozen for two to three months in a freezer-safe container or bag.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
218 Calories
11g Fat
24g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 218
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 15%
Saturated Fat 6g 28%
Cholesterol 90mg 30%
Sodium 241mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 17mg 84%
Calcium 144mg 11%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 694mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)