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Sorrel Soup with Egg in Chicken Broth
Instructions
Start by bringing the broth to a boil. Cover the chicken with 2.5 litres of water.
Once it boils, reduce the heat, but don't miss the moment when the foam forms – skim it off with a slotted spoon.
Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Grate the carrot and chop the onion into cubes.
Add 0.5 tablespoon of coarse salt, a couple of allspice peppercorns and a bay leaf to the broth.
Adjust the amount of salt to your taste, and for a richer aroma add the chopped onion.
Cut the sorrel into medium strips, removing the stems. It looks like a lot of greens, but the moment it hits the hot broth it shrinks instantly and shrivels down in volume.
Cut the eggs into cubes.
Cut the potatoes the same way, but into slightly larger cubes.
Heat the butter in a skillet and lightly sauté the carrot, just until it softens and absorbs the buttery flavour.
After half an hour the meat is cooked. Transfer it to a separate plate, let it cool slightly, then separate the meat from the bone.
Add the potatoes and the sautéed carrot to the pot right away.
After about 15 minutes, add the pieces of meat to the soup.
Add the sorrel and parsley to the pot straight after.
Follow with the eggs. As soon as the soup boils, turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid.Sorrel soup with egg in chicken broth is usually served hot and always with sour cream. But on a hot day this dish is also very welcome chilled.Bon appétit!
Tips
- 1
Sorrel at the very end – the "secret" to its colour. During long cooking the greens turn dark and dull, so drop them in just one or two minutes before you switch off the heat.
- 2
Remove the stems without fail. The stems hold the most oxalic acid, which makes the soup too sour.
- 3
Carrot in butter – the "secret" to the aroma. Carrot sautéed in butter gives the soup a gentle, creamy note; without butter it tastes plain.
- 4
Store-bought chicken – 30 minutes of cooking. Home-raised takes 60 minutes. Cooking the home-raised bird longer gives a richer broth. The same principle works in other kinds of green soups.
FAQ
How can I replace sorrel? +
Alternatives include spinach (a milder flavour without the tang, plus 1 tsp of lemon juice), young nettle (an old Russian option), beet leaves (the tops – unusual), chard (leaf beet) and dandelion leaves (young ones, with a slight bitterness). Frozen sorrel also works (don't defrost it, just drop it straight into the soup). Don't use old sorrel – it is tough and bitter. Buy fresh, bright-green leaves with no yellow ones. Young greens (before flowering) are the most tender. For 2.5 l of soup, 250 g of sorrel is the optimal amount.
Can I replace the chicken? +
Alternatives include beef (a more "Russian" version, cook for 1.5–2 hours), turkey (lean, cook for 30–40 minutes), pork (for a "rustic" soup) and duck (a premium option). For a lean version, leave out the meat and use a vegetable broth (just carrot, onion and potato). Fresh or chilled chicken is better than frozen. Chicken on the bone gives a richer broth, while boneless cooks faster but makes a less full-bodied broth. For a "premium" result, use a farm chicken or a poussin.
How long does the soup keep? +
In the fridge, in a covered pot, it keeps for 2–3 days. Any longer and the sorrel "bleeds" and the colour turns brown. Reheat it on the stove to 80 °C without boiling, or in the microwave in portions for 1–2 minutes. I don't recommend freezing it (the potato crumbles and the sorrel changes texture). On the second day the soup "settles" and the flavour becomes richer. Don't leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Serve it hot with sour cream, or chilled in hot weather (like okroshka). For a "lunch on the go" it travels well in a thermos for 4–6 hours. Freshly cooked, it is at its best on the first day.
What to serve the soup with? +
The Russian classic: with sour cream (1–2 tablespoons per bowl) and fresh herbs (dill, parsley). With dark or rye bread, or croutons. With garlic croutons for a "rustic" serving. With herbal tea for a warming lunch. It travels well in a thermos for an office lunch. With hot pies or buns. For a "children's lunch", serve it with white bread and thin slices of cucumber. With cold kvass it makes a summer option (when the soup is chilled). With a boiled egg on top for extra protein. A versatile, light lunch for spring and summer.
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