Russian Sorrel Soup with Potatoes and Eggs (VIDEO)

This sorrel soup has several simple ingredients and is very easy to make. Normally, sorrel is sour to the taste, but the taste is different when cooked. The soup is heart-warming, slightly tangy and just a very good, light soup to cook in the spring (or all year round).

I grew up eating sorrel soup. When I married, my second mama (MIL) made it almost the same way as my mama. It was like being home when I ate it her place 🥰. This recipe comes from her, but the only difference from my mom’s recipe is that she puts sour cream directly into the pot, while at our house each person added sour cream to their own bowl.

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Sorrel Soup VIDEO

Here is a short and fun video about making this sorrel soup. Scroll down if you would rather like to read through the details.

If you don’t have any sorrel, ask a relative or a friend for some from their garden. Plant it and it grows like a weed. If you don’t know anyone who has sorrel, you can always order some sorrel seeds online. It is very easy to grow.

There are basically two ways to cook this soup. Pick one that works for you.

Method 1: With broth/meat

Beef works best for this soup. First off, select some meat that has bone on it (in Germany these are often already sold packaged as “soup meat”). Add a couple of beef bones to make the soup richer. We got this meat from a farmer around here and it was already chopped like this.

Fill a big pot half-way with water, add the meat and bones to the water and bring to a boil. Note that scum will start forming on the top of the water. It is best to skim it off so that the soup/broth remains clear. Use a small sieve to skim off the scum from the broth (I have a set like in the link).

[Side note: if you want to know a bit more about this whole skimming scum thing (awesome alliteration, isn’t it?), visit justonecookbook.com, they have a good, short post on it].

I also added bay leaf, black pepper corns, and vegetables so it was a mixture of beef and vegetable broth. This is optional. Let the meat cook for at least an hour. I usually let it cook for 2-3 hours or longer as you get more nutrients out of the bones that way. But do what works best for you. Take out the meat once cooked and set aside. Proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Here is a great post from Bearded Butchers if you are looking for more information on beef broth/stock: How to make Beef Bone Broth. I guess mine was a combination of broth and stock. lol. Good to know.

Method 2: Without broth/meat

Cooking this soup without meat can’t be easier. Just use water in place of the broth and don’t add any meat. That’s it! It doesn’t taste any worse for this change. In fact, I prefer the soup without broth and/or meat.

Preparation

Eggs

Cook eggs. Let them cool. Then peel them and cut into small squares. Set aside.

Sorrel

Wash sorrel, pick through it removing damaged leaves, and let excess water run off. Cut into about 1/4 inch thick pieces. TIP: Make sure to mostly use the leaves of the sorrel (without the stems), otherwise the soup will end up being to sour. Trust me, I’ve made the mistake before and the soup is not very salvageable after that:).

Potatoes

Peel potatoes and cut them into small squares. Set aside. Tip: keep the cut potatoes covered with water until you cook them. This keeps them from turning brown.

Onion/Dill

Wash and cut green onion and dill.

Sour Cream

I like to add sour cream to the whole pot of soup, but this is optional as each person can also add a teaspoon of sour cream to their own bowl at the end. If you want to leave the sour cream to each individual, then skip this step and proceed to the rest of the recipe.

Otherwise, add sour cream to a small bowl and add some water. Mix well until the water is well-incorporated and the mixture is thick. Add more water and mix well again. Keep adding water and mixing until sour cream is almost fully liquid.

Cooking Sorrel Soup

In a medium/large pot (I have this set), bring 6 cups water (or broth, if using) to a boil. Add the chopped potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes. Then, add eggs to the broth and cook for an additional minute.

Throw in the chopped sorrel and cook until it has wilted and turned dark green (about a minute).

Then add in the chopped green onion, chopped dill, meat (if using), and liquid sour cream. Bring to a slow simmer. Season with salt and pepper and turn off the heat.

Let stand for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend together (I usually don’t wait that long as I can’t wait to eat the soup. 😁. But the soup does taste even better the next day).

I highly recommend adding sour cream to the soup if you didn’t in the cooking process. This soup just has to have sour cream!

Lastly, if you make this Sorrel Soup recipe, make sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating here! I’d love to hear back from you and will do my best to answer and respond to every comment. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe. I’d love to see the photos of the recipes you have made!

Check out my Simple Rice and Meatball Soup post, for another tasty and easy soup recipe.