Sorrel and Bone Broth Soup: A Bright Green Bowl for the End of Winter

By March, the body is tired of roots and the pantry is tired of us. What we want is green, but the garden is not ready to give it. Sorrel is the exception. It comes up early, sometimes through the last of the snow, and its leaves carry a sharp, lemony tang that no other green can match. Cooked into a bone broth with a little potato and a swirl of cream, it becomes a soup that tastes like spring arrived ahead of schedule.

Sorrel is not a green you eat raw in quantity. The oxalic acid that gives it its bite will pucker your mouth if you try. But cooked, it mellows into something complex and bright, and it turns a pot of broth into a bowl of pale green velvet. If you cannot find sorrel, a mix of spinach and a squeeze of lemon is a workable substitute, though it will not be the same. Look for sorrel at farmers markets in early spring, or grow it in a shady corner of the garden. It is a perennial and comes back every year without fuss.

Building the Soup

Start with a quart of good bone broth, ideally one you made yourself from roasted beef or chicken bones. Bring it to a simmer in a heavy pot. Add a diced potato and a diced onion, and cook until the potato is soft, about fifteen minutes. If you have a parsnip or a bit of celery, throw it in. This soup is not precious about its aromatics.

When the vegetables are tender, add four packed cups of chopped sorrel leaves. They will wilt almost immediately and turn a dull olive green. Do not panic. Stir them in and cook for just two or three minutes. Then take the pot off the heat and blend it smooth with an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender. Return it to the pot and taste it.

Now the balancing act. Sorrel is sour, so it needs a little richness to round it out. Stir in a quarter cup of cream or a couple of tablespoons of butter. Taste again. Add salt, a grind of black pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg if you like. If it is too sour, a small pinch of sugar will fix it without making it sweet. If it is too flat, a squeeze of lemon will bring it back to life.

Serving and the Second Bowl

Serve the soup hot with a swirl of cream, a few reserved sorrel leaves cut into ribbons, and a piece of toast spread with marrow butter or a soft cheese. A handful of chopped chives on top is a nice addition if you have them. The soup is rich enough to be a meal on its own, but a boiled egg or a few seared scallops turn it into something you could serve to guests.

Leftovers thicken overnight and make an excellent sauce for poached fish or roast chicken. Thin it with a little more broth and it becomes a dressing for cold spring vegetables. This is the kind of soup that bridges the seasons, using the last of the winter broth and the first of the spring greens. Make a big pot. Eat it for days. The garden will catch up soon enough.