Sorrel Soup

Here is a recipe that will feature in our first Primal Seasons Spring Workshop this October. I’ve found it in Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s fabulous book: The River Cottage Year. It’s in the April chapter.

The sorrel I found in our garden, purposefully planted in the wettest area of our pumpkin patch. So far only the chickens and our sheep were interested in it. That changed tonight when I made this marvelous soup.

Be warned! This is a very filling meal. I had multiplied the recipe to accommodate a dear friend who had joined us for dinner. That was unnecessary, we found out. Hence I changed the “Serves” from 2 to 3.

So here it is:

★★★★★

Servings: 3 | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

75-100g fresh sorrel, a few good handfuls

50 g butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1 large leek, finely sliced

2 medium carrots, chopped

600 ml good chicken stock

2 T long grain rice, well rinsed

15 ml double cream

salt

pepper

To finish:

3 eggs

15 ml cream

Directions:

Wash the sorrel well and trim off any particularly coarse stalks.

Melt a knob of butter (25 g) in a saucepan over a low heat and add the onion, leek and carrots.

Sweat gently for about 5 minutes, so the vegetables are slightly softened but not coloured.

Add the chicken stock and the long grain rice. Bring to the boil and simmer until the rice is completely tender, about 15 min.

Ladle the soup into a blender, adding the raw sorrel, the remaining butter and the double cream. Blend until completely smooth (depending on the capacity of your blender, you may have to do this in two batches).

Return the soup to the pan, reheat thoroughly without boiling and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

To finish: The perfect poached egg

Poach the eggs one at a time.

Break each egg (which should be at room temperature) into a cup, being careful not to break the yolk.

Bring a small pan of lightly salted water to the boil. When it is boiling rapidly, stir fast with a large spoon to create a vortex.

Pour the egg into the centre of the vortex, place the lid on the pan and turn off the heat. Leave for exactly 2 minutes.

Serve the soup in a warmed bowl with the drained poached egg in the centre and an extra little blob of cream beside it.

Source: The River Cottage Year, p. 94

Enjoy!

Better pictures will follow. Promised!