Chilled Spring Sorrel Soup: Ukrainian Green Borscht

I promise I'll get into the deeply pro-metabolic recipes soon, but right now, I'm just entering my second trimester of pregnancy. I'm still nauseous most mornings, and as is typical for me during pregnancy, I'm craving fresh, bright flavors. This soup has been a lifesaver with lingering nausea, and while it's not the warming, high-fat, high-protein dish you want to be consuming throughout pregnancy, it's full of properly prepared leafy greens and soothing starches and has some added protein from the eggs.

We are officially past our frost date here in Milwaukee, and I opened up my raised bed garden to find a vibrant green bush of sorrel, some much-needed inspiration for bringing back some spring recipe favorites, like this Green Borscht I grew up eating every spring and summer.

Chilled Sorrel Soup is simple to make, quick, light, refreshing, and the perfect celebration of spring. While no family makes it quite the same way, it likely originated as a way to use up those last stored root cellar potatoes, abundant spring eggs and sour cream, and bright cool-weather herbs: sorrel, scallion, and dill.

You might be confused by my calling this soup Borscht since we typically think of Borscht as a meaty, bone broth-based beet soup. This is a veggie broth-based version that's great hot but typically served chilled in the spring and summer months.

What is sorrel, and what if I can't find any?

Now, for those unfamiliar with sorrel, I'd describe it as a tangy, bright version of spinach. If you've ever snacked on clover, it's very similar. It has the mouth-puckering effect of fresh rhubarb without any of the characteristic grittiness that's kept me feeling so-so about spinach for years. As far as I can tell, sorrel prefers cool, moist temperatures and can tolerate pretty harsh freezes. The majority of recipes calling for sorrel originate from Europe, the Caucuses, and the Middle East. French recipes favor sorrel for creamy sauces to complement seafood and fish, while Middle-Eastern, Georgian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani recipes usually call for Sorrel in combination with lots of other bright herbs in dips, salads, and garnishes.

If you can't find sorrel, that's okay. Before I planted it in my garden, my family made it with spinach and extra lemon juice.

Chilled Sorrel Soup Recipe

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