Green Borscht (Sorrel Soup)

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.

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.

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.

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)

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

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!

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