Sour Sorrel Soup | Sauerampfersuppe
Fresh and delicately sour, this French sorrel soup makes the most out of this classic garden herb in this delicious soup!
Available in early spring, sour sorrel is the main ingredient in this recipe, showcasing its vibrant lemony flavor and versatility. Whether you serve it as an appetizer or make this a main dish, you will love its simplicity and depth of flavor.
First having it as a child at my grandparents’ in Germany, I remember it was definitely more sour and chunky (they didn’t have fancy blenders). We call it “Sauerampfersuppe” there. Since then I have tweaked this recipe to make it more delicious and appealing for everyone at your table.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
This might easily become your next springtime favorite recipe because
- it is so easy to make
- it is very uncomplicated
- it has a delicious, fresh taste
- it makes the most out of this kitchen garden staple
- you can easily dress it up or down
The ingredients
To make this simple soup you will need:
- Fresh sorrel leaves: I get them from my kitchen garden but you can often find them in your grocery store or at farmers’ markets. If you can’t find them, I encourage you to get sorrel seeds and plant them. French sorrel will easily grow in planters, too!
- Butter: I like to sautee onions in unsalted butter for its taste.
- Onion: This kitchen staple adds another taste layer to this soup.
- Chicken stock: I love using either homemade bone broth or chicken bouillon.
- Potatoes: They will add both creaminess and body to this soup.
- Sour cream: I love the complex flavor and creaminess of sour cream. You can even create some beautiful swirls in the soup bowls right before serving.
- Lemon juice: This adds another brightness to the soup.
- Sugar: I always like to add just a tiny amount of sweetener to “round out” the taste.
- Salt & black pepper: Do I need to say anything about this?
Useful tools and equipment
Other than what you already have in your kitchen I recommend either one of these tools:
- Immersion blender: You can blend the soup into delicious silkiness right in your soup pot with this inexpensive tool.
- High-speed blender: You can also pour the sorrel soup into your Vitamix or other blender.
- Food processor: I have not tried using that myself but I imagine you can also use your food processor to blend the soup.
- Instant pot: Again, I have not tried it myself but you should be able to cook the soup in an instant pot as well.
Substitutions and variations
This is always the fun part where you can experiment with different ingredients:
- Sorrel: If you can’t find French sorrel, you might be able to find other types of sorrel (garden sorrel, red-veined sorrel, etc) or other delicate greens such as baby spinach.
- Butter: You can make this soup with other fats such as olive oil, avocado oil, or your favorite cooking oil.
- Chicken stock: Instead of chicken broth, you can also use vegetable broth or beef stock but the latter might have too strong a taste for this sorrel soup.
- Potatoes: If you don’t have potatoes, you can also make a roux to give this soup body.
- Sour cream: Feel free to substitute the sour cream with sweet cream, a dash of milk, or even coconut cream.
- Eggs: You can elevate the flavor by removing some soup at the end of the cooking process. Then add 1-2 egg yolks and whisk them into a little soup before adding this egg soup mixture back to the hot soup. Avoid boiling the soup once you add the egg yolks.
- Additional flavors and seasonings: Feel free to omit the lemon juice or adjust the amount. You can also add a bay leaf before simmering, replace the regular onion with a green onion, and sprinkle the final soup with some chopped fresh parsley
How to serve
This amazing sorrel soup is perfect
- as an appetizer before your main meal
- a light supper with some crusty bread
- as a simple sorrel sauce over boiled potatoes and a hard-boiled egg
How long does it last?
We love to enjoy this soup hot and fresh. However, you can keep it in the refrigerator for a few days in an airtight container. You can serve it as a cold soup, let it come to room temperature, or gently heat it up again.
Other soup recipes you might like
Cozy Chicken and Sourdough Dumplings
How to make this dish
- Cut the onion into small dice (or rolls if using green onion). Set aside. Cut the potatoes into cubes and set aside.
- In a stock pot over medium heat, melt butter.
- Add the onions and saute them until translucent.
- Add the potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil.
- Cover the pot, turn the heat to low, and simmer until the potatoes are cooked and soft, about 10-15 minutes.
- Cut the sorrel leaves into smaller pieces.
- Once the potatoes are soft, add the chopped sorrel and cook the soup for just a few minutes.
- Blend the soup with an immersion blender until silky smooth. Alternatively, you can transfer it to a high-speed blender or a food processor. If using either of the latter two, return the soup to the pot.
- Add the sour cream, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and fresh-ground black pepper. Adjust the seasonings to taste. You can gently reheat the soup but do not bring it to a boil again.
- You can add a final tablespoon of butter if you like.
- Ladle the soup into soup bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream. To make it look pretty, let the sour cream heat up, then use a spoon and swirl it around.
Sorrel Soup | Sauerampfersuppe
Ingredients
- 3 TBSP butter
- 4 cups stock or bouillon
- 2 large potatoes, diced
- 1 small onion or ½ bunch spring onions, chopped
- 1 large bunch French sorrel
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large stock pot. Add the onions. Sautee them until translucent.
- Add the stock and the potatoes. Bring back to a boil, turn the heat to low and cook until the potatoes are soft.
- Add the sorrel and cook just until the sorrel is soft.
- Add the sour cream, sugar, lemon juice, salt, and fresh ground pepper. Adjust the seasonings to your liking.
- Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream.
Notes
- once you add the sour cream, do not boil the soup
- you can also use baby spinach instead of the sorrel
- this soup makes a delicious sauce served over boiled potatoes and hard-boiled eggs