Chilled Lemony Sorrel Soup

I am thrilled by the discovery of this soup. I have had a sorrel plant growing in the garden for about 5 years.  I asked my Mother in Law for a cutting but then never quite knew what to do with it.  But the other day I was forced into action by the need to cut it back as it was going to seed.  My pruning left me a handful of leaves and I set about googling.

I settled on soup because I like soup, and it is relatively quick and easy.  I made some for the Alresford Country Market but there were no takers (it's customers are generally elderly and traditional) so I took the chilled soup out of the fridge the next day and sipped it on the way to the microwave to warm it.  It was delicious!  Strangely, the lemony tang of the sorrel came through much better in the chilled soup than it did warm.  Having made Vichyssoise last week, I have to say in my opinion that chilled Sorrel Soup is even better!  Your only problem is where to find Sorrel.  Try foraging for it, or your Mother In Law's.


Serves 2

1 medium potato, washed and roughly chopped
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 handful sorrel leaves, washed
1 tbsp olive oil
500ml boiling water
1 low salt vegetable stock cube
Salt to taste

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil in a saucepan over a low heat until is starts to go clear.  Add the potato, stir through and fry gently for 5 minutes.  Pour over the hot water with the stock cube.  Bring to the boil and simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes add the sorrel leaves and simmer for another 5 minutes.  They will turn a rusty colour almost immediately but don't worry the final soup won't be that colour!  After 5 minutes take off the heat and liquidise.  Add a little milk if the soup is too thick and check the seasoning.

By all means eat it hot, but if you can try to chill it for a couple of hours.