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Sorrel Soup December 27, 2007 After the excesses of Christmas it’s good to settle into a more relaxed routine and eat a bit more sensibly to make up for the calorie overload of the party season. Nutrition seems to go out the window in December. Too often my evening meal consisted of a collection of party pass-arounds. While some of them were positively delicious, too many miniature chicken sandwiches, baby quiches, sate sticks, fish goujons, mini pizzas, small spring rolls and vol au vents do not a balanced diet make. We sat down at home for dinner one evening in mid-December and just revelled in a simple lamb rack with plenty of carrots, fresh beans and cauliflower. Real vegetables. The lamb was almost superfluous. It was the vegetables we craved. Sometimes all an overworked digestive system wants is a good bowl of restorative soup. I was at a local farmers’ market recently and the fellows I often buy herbs from had some bunches of freshly picked sorrel. I was in need of a pick-me-up and a bowl of sorrel soup definitely worked wonders. Sorrel is often considered less of a vegetable and more of a herb. It has an acidic tang – more marked in the older leaves than the young ones – which comes from oxalic acid. If you have rheumatism, gout, arthritis, kidney stones, it is best to avoid sorrel. However, you can substitute spinach, silverbeet or rainbow chard in this recipe for an equally delicious soup. If you can, make your own chicken stock. It will give much more depth of flavour. You’ll often find chicken frames available from a butcher or on sale at the supermarket. You can also use the leftover carcase from a roasted chicken, or simmer a whole chicken or chicken pieces with some celery, onion and carrot, and use the cooked flesh for a chicken salad, sandwiches or a dish like Chicken Divan and the strained stock for this recipe.
Sorrel Soup 2 medium leeks Clean and thinly slice the white part of the leeks. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan and gently sauté the leeks until they are soft and tender. Meanwhile rinse the sorrel leaves (or spinach), pat them dry, then add to the leeks, stirring until wilted. Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil then turn back the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Process till smooth in a food processor or use a stick blender. Push through a sieve for extra smoothness. Adjust the seasoning as required. The soup may be reheated or served chilled. Garnish as you wish – maybe with some lightly whipped cream or light sour cream and a few snipped chives, or with some croutons.
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