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    Home » Recipes » Soups

    Green Borscht (Sorrel Soup)

    Author: Peter · Published: Mar 1, 2024

    Jump to Recipe

    Green Borscht with its vibrant, tangy flavor is popular in Russia, Ukraine, Poland and across Eastern Europe. Enjoy this sour soup in spring and summer when Sorrel is in season.

    serving bowl of green borscht

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • Unique - a vibrant soup with a refreshing tartness, stands out from other soups you've tasted
    • Healthy - Sorrel is packed with Vitamin A, minerals and antioxidants, adding a powerful boost to your nutrition
    • Easy to Make - even beginners can follow these simple instructions
    • Versatile - enjoyed hot or cold, perfect for any time of year

    What is Sorrel?

    Sorrel is a green leafy plant that looks like spinach, but tastes sour and tangy. The sourness comes from Oxalic Acid. Sorrel is sometimes used in salads, soups, stews or Spanakopita. However, it should be consumed in moderation due to its oxalic acid content, which can be harmful in large quantities

    Not commonly found in grocery stores, but many Eastern Europeans grow them or you can find at your local farmer's market. In Russian, Sorrel is called Schavel (щавель) and this recipe is called Щавелевый суп or зеленый борщ.

    bunch of fresh sorrel

    Ingredients

    • Soup Stock - can use vegetable broth or bone broth
    • Fresh Sorrel
    • Potatoes
    • Carrot
    • Aromatics - onion, bay leaves, garlic, green onions, dill
    • Butter
    • Hard Boiled Eggs

    How to Make Green Borscht

    Green Borscht is a simple soup recipe made with cubed potatoes, carrot, caramelized onions, garlic and fresh herbs. A hard boiled egg is usually served in the soup. If you want to be fancy, you can serve with tiny quail eggs.

    1. Prepare Soup Stock - homemade soup stock always tastes the best. Alternatively use store bought stock for a quick and easy shortcut.
    2. Cook Potatoes - peel and cube the potatoes. Boil potatoes in the soup stock with the bay leaves for about 10 minutes until soft.
    3. Sauté - caramelize the diced onion, grated carrots and garlic in butter until golden. Add into the soup and simmer for another 10 minutes.
    4. Hard Boil Eggs - cover eggs with water in saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover with lid and remove from heat. Set timer for 11 minutes. Remove eggs and place in ice bath to cool before using. Cut in half and set aside.
    5. Chop the Greens - roughly chop Sorrel, finely chop dill and green onions. Add all the greens into the soup. Salt and pepper to taste.
    6. Cook - remove from heat, cover with lid and allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a hard boiled egg.
    making green borscht in a pot

    Sorrel Soup Variations

    • Vegetarian/Vegan Soup - substitute butter with vegetable oil, use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, skip the egg and dollop with dairy free sour cream.
    • Blended Sorrel Soup - use an immersion blender and blend for a creamy, smooth soup. Add heavy cream for texture and richness
    • Sorrel Spinach Soup - use 50/50 mix of spinach and sorrel leaves for a milder flavor and extra vitamins
    • Meaty Green Borscht - add your favorite meats like chicken, beef or even fish
    • Cabbage Green Borscht - add shredded cabbage when boiling potatoes for a thicker, heartier soup

    Recipe Tips and FAQs

    • Preparing Sorrel - cut off any woody stems, and rinse to remove any dirt
    • Adjust Sorrel - the more sorrel you add into the soup, the more sour (astringent) the soup will be, add more if you love a sour soup
    • Mix in the Eggs - chop the hard boil eggs and mix into the soup before serving
    • Adjust Acids - for a fresh burst of flavor, add a squeeze of lemon before serving to enhance the flavor (or a bit of white vinegar)
    serving bowl of green borscht

    What Can I Substitute Sorrel With?

    If you can't find fresh Sorrel, use fresh Spinach as a substitute. It won't be sour or have the tang of Sorrel, however adding Vinegar or Lemon Juice to help compensate acidity.

    Storage and Reheating

    • Fridge - place in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for 3-4 days
    • Freezer - best frozen without added dairy. Freeze in airtight container or Ziploc bag. After defrosting and re-heating, add dairy.
    • Reheating - place in a pot and reheat gently on the stovetop. Likewise, microwave for 1 minute, then in 30 second increments until hot enough

    Is Green Borscht Served Hot or Cold?

    Both! It's up to you how you prefer to serve Green Borscht. In the summer, it's often served as a refreshing cold soup. When it's cooler, a warm bowl of borscht always warms you up from the inside

    Green Borscht

    Soup Recipes You'll Love

    • Fisherman's Soup - Ukha
    • Beef Borscht
    • Okroshka - Cold Soup with Kefir
    • Traditional Goulash Soup
    • Italian Minestrone
    • Svekolnik - Cold Beet Soup
    • Shchi - Cabbage Soup

    Green Borscht (Зеленый борщ) is a tasty Slavic soup recipe that's full of vitamins. A simple Sorrel and Potato soup served with dill and sour cream, just like babushka made. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!

    serving bowl of green borscht

    Green Borscht - Sorrel Soup

    Green Borscht (Зеленый борщ) or Sorrel Soup is a tasty Slavic soup recipe that's full of vitamins. Easy to make, nutritious and healthy, served hot or cold with fresh dill and sour cream. An Eastern European classic.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Resting time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Dinner, Soup
    Cuisine Polish, Russian, Slavic, Ukrainian
    Servings 6 people

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 cups soup stock
    • 5 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 onion diced
    • 1 carrot grated or julienned
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 3 hard boiled eggs
    • 1 large bunch of Sorrel about 4 cups chopped
    • bunch of fresh dill
    • 1 green onion chopped

    Instructions
     

    • Prepare Soup Stock - homemade soup stock always tastes the best. Alternatively use store bought stock for a quick and easy shortcut.
    • Cook Potatoes - peel and cube the potatoes. Boil potatoes in the soup stock with the bay leaves for about 10 minutes until soft.
    • Sauté - caramelize the diced onion, grated carrots and garlic until golden. Add into the soup and simmer for another 10 minutes.
    • Hard Boil Eggs - cover eggs with water in saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover with lid and remove from heat. Set timer for 11 minutes. Remove eggs and place in ice bath to cool before using. Cut in half and set aside.
    • Chop the Greens - roughly chop Sorrel, finely chop dill and green onions. Add all the greens into the soup. Salt and pepper to taste. 
    • Cook - remove from heat, cover with lid and allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a hard boiled egg.

    Notes

    Why Isn't the Sorrel Simmered? 
    For better flavor, texture and vitamins, the sorrel does not need to be cooked to death. Simply add into the hot soup, cover with lid to allow to cook without unnecessary boiling. As a result, it will taste better.
    Keyword Green Borscht, Schavel Soup, Sorrel Soup

    ©PetersFoodAdventures.com *originally posted May 2019, updated March 2024

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