Polish Sorrel Soup {Zupa Szczawiowa}
My mom tells me that when she was little, her and the neighbor kids would go out to this one area by the train tracks and the river to pick sorrel. They would eat some of this leafy and sour vegetable on the way home and with whatever was left, grandma would then make into this flavorful traditional Polish spring soup.
Zupa szczawiowa [zoo-pah shchah-vyo-vah] is also a soup of my childhood, as it was for most kids growing up in Poland. I like mine as presented below, with a hardboiled egg and garlic croutons.
You don’t have to send your kids by the train tracks and the river any more these days. When in season (normally mid spring) you can find sorrel at most fruit and veggie markets all over Poland. I will be making it as much as possible this season, and may even freeze some for the winter.
Polish Sorrel Soup {Zupa Szczawiowa}
Ingredients
- STOCK:
- 1 lb / 500g of bone-in chicken parts
- 8 c / 2 l of water
- 2 carrots
- 1 parsnip or parsley root
- ¼ of a small celery root or a couple of celery stalks
- ½ a small onion burnt in a dry pan or directly over gas stove
- 2 tsp of salt
- 3-4 bay leaves
- 6-8 whole peppercorns and allspice berries (each)
- ADDITIONALLY:
- 1 lb / 500 g of fresh sorrel leaves
- 2 tbsp of butter
- 3 eggs
- 4 slices of bread (to make croutons)
- 1 garlic clove
- Sprinkle of salt and pepper
Instructions
Place stock ingredients in a stockpot and bring to boil. Simmer on low for 45 minutes. If using boxed stock, pour into a medium pot and heat up.
In the meantime, wash sorrel thoroughly, cut off and discard just the thickest stem ends. Mince sorrel finely. In a medium pan, heat butter, add sorrel and sauté for a few minutes, until all liquid cooks off.
Boil eggs. Once boiled, peel and dice and set aside.
Toast bread and peel garlic. Rub the whole surface of each slice of toast with garlic clove. Dice and set aside.
Once stock is ready, strain it but return parsnip / parsley root and celery root back into the stock. Also, add ⅔ of sautéed sorrel into pot. With an immersion blender, blend the soup with vegetables.
Finally, dice carrots and add to soup. Add the rest of sorrel and heat through. Stir and taste. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and a bit more salt, if needed.
Right before serving, add diced egg and croutons.
If you’ve never tried this unique soup before, I hope you do. I hope it makes it onto your list of regulars.
Happy cooking and smacznego!
Anna
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