There's so much burgeoning growth in the hedgerows at the moment that I can't quite believe my luck and it seems like there's just one new plant after another unfurling itself and begging for a forage in recent weeks!
| Todays freebie was a bundle of the thick, lush sorrel leaves that seem to be springing up everywhere this week! My first memory of knowing sorrel as a food source was when my gran made sorrel soup for us as a starter one Sunday lunchtime. She wasn't much of a forager and I seem to recall she bought it at the local veg market thanks to a Delia Smith recipe! I'm pretty sure it's a popular Eastern European dish and I think sorrel features more in French cooking than British, which is strange since we have it in such an abundance! It's from the same genus as dock (remember that on your nettle stings!?) and can generally be used a bit like spinach. As with so many plants, when you're foraging, aim for the youngest, freshest leaves which are less fibrous and have a subtler flavour. Sorrel is reputed to be high in antioxidants, vitamins A and C as well as being astringent, owing to its high tannin content, which can be helpful in drying up mucous membranes. |  |
With those qualities (and more!) I think this would be a great dish if you're bouncing back from one of those spring colds that seem to be rampaging about at the moment! It's got a distinctive flavour, slightly more like kale or cabbage* than spinach, a little bit lemony, quite sour and slightly bitter. There are, of course, hundreds of sorrel soup recipes out there but here's my version!
Sorrel Soup Visual Voyage: | Starting with a favourite base of finely chopped celery, carrot and leek (you'll notice I don't cook with onion or garlic, I don't seem to digest it well as I've got older but feel absolutely free to use it as you'd like, wild garlic would probably be amazing!), fry the finely chopped veggies off in a little cooking oil before adding salt, pepper, and about a cup of cooked red lentils. Many soup recipes use potato as a thickener but I prefer red lentils, which blend away to a thick paste with an unobtrusive flavour just like potato, but give the soup a boost of protein at the same time. Add half a tablespoon of dried dill and let it cook for a bit. Meanwhile, you can trim the woody stems from your (well washed) sorrel leaves, though very young leaves may not need it. You can then slice it finely much like you would prepare kale. |
| Wilt the leaves into the cooked veg base then add freshly boiled water. Turn off the heat and let it sit a little. Once it's cooled off, blend it up (I favour the good old stick blender, who wants to wash a food processor jug?!) and finally add a little nutmeg, a spoon of cider vinegar and a gentle glug of soya milk. You can make this in advance, just reheat it gently and don't let it boil (the milk might curdle... Don't panic if it does, just add a little more and whip out the blender again, that should re-homogenise it) and serve with finely chopped leaves to garnish along side hunks of warm, fresh bread. De-lish! * Sorrel can also have the same effect on your tummy as cabbage... you have been warned! ;-) xx |  |
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