Seasons/Availability
Sorrel is available year round.
Description/Taste
Arrow-shaped and having a spinach-like texture, smooth sorrel leaves offer a lemony tang and may be used as an herb or salad green. A classic in French sorrel soup, the paler the leaves, the gentler the flavor.
Nutritional Value
Sorrel contains iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, some calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and dietary fiber. High in oxalates, sorrel leaves should be avoided if prone to kidney stones or arthritis. Eating five daily servings of vegetables and fruits lowers the chances of cancer. A recent study found that eating nine or ten daily servings of vegetables and fruits, combined with three servings of low-fat dairy products, were effective in lowering blood pressure.
Applications
Popular in spring mix, slivered sorrel leaves add a tangy accent to fresh salads. Add its spunky taste to scrambled eggs and omelets. Seafood, chicken, veal, lamb, pheasant dishes welcome its bite. Hearty meat stews like its acidic contribution. Shred into soups with a tomato or fish base. Add its pizzazz to rice and lentils. Make a sorrel based sauce; drizzle over grilled, sautéed or marinated portabella mushrooms. Fold into mayonnaise and creamy sauces. Tuck a shredded leaf or two in sandwiches. Experiment with this herb in savory dishes, adding a little at a time until desired taste is reached. For a simple side dish, simmer leaves in a small amount of water for a few minutes; top with butter or a splash of cream. Use generously when cooking sorrel as it reduces greatly in volume. Nice touch to yogurt smoothies. Pureed sorrel wakes up cooked vegetables. Pair with asparagus, green and yellow string beans, turnips, cauliflower and summer squash. Use less lemon and vinegar in recipes when including sorrel. Do not cook in aluminum or iron pans as sorrel will develop a metallic taste. Use a stainless-steel knife for cutting. Stems are tough and should be removed. To store, place in a plastic bag; refrigerate. Freeze for longer storage.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Preferred by French cuisine, sorrel is used to make their famous sorrel soup and tarts. In England, a popular sweet-sour sauce called greensauce was so common made with sorrel that sorrel itself came to be called "greensauce" in English communities. By 1861 English cuisine had took a culinary recess from sorrel. Scandinavia, Russia, Hungary, Holland, Belguim and France are still rather fond of it. The Jewish schav and the French potage germiny are well-known soups made with thinned sorrel puree, based on water or stock, thickened with egg yolks and served hot or chilled. In the Middle East, sorrel is favored in bean and lentil purees.
Geography/History
Native to Europe and western Asian, sorrel's name is derived from Old French "surele" through the Germanic "sur" meaning, very appropriate for this herb, sour. There are actually two kinds of sorrel cultivated for culinary use, Rumex acetos and R. scutatus. Hardy perennials, sorrel plants grow about eighteen inches tall and bear tiny nondescript flowers. Flourishing in full sun, sorrel grows abundantly in almost all soil conditions. Rumex acetosa, garden sorrel, likes a moist location while and R. scrutatus, French sorrel, prefers a rather dry soil. The presence of acid oxalate of potash, tartaric and tannic acids in sorrel plants are responsible for the sour taste. American chefs are recognizing sorrel as a sophisticated taste inspired by European tourists who love this herb's tangy flavor.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
Featured Recipes
Recipes that include Sorrel. One
is easiest, three is harder.
