Skābeņu Zupa
A bright, tangy Latvian sorrel soup enriched with cream and egg yolk — a beloved spring dish celebrating the first green shoots of the season.
About This Recipe
Skābeņu zupa (sorrel soup) marks the arrival of spring in Latvia with a vivid, deeply flavoured bowl of tangy leaves simmered in a light broth and enriched with soured cream. Sorrel — a hardy perennial herb with a sharp lemony-oxalic flavour — is one of the first plants to appear after the Baltic winter, and its arrival signals the beginning of the growing season. The soup is traditionally made with smoked pork or chicken stock and finished with a swirl of cream and a hard-boiled egg. It is one of those dishes that tastes like a specific season and cannot be replicated outside of spring.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 200 gfresh sorrel leaves, stems removed and roughly chopped
- 1 litrechicken or light pork stock
- 300 gwaxy potatoes, peeled and diced small
- 1 mediumonion, finely diced
- 1 tbspbutter
- 150 mlsoured cream
- 2 largeeggs, hard-boiled and halved
- 1 tspsalt
- 0.5 tspblack pepper
- 1 tbspfresh dill, chopped
Instructions
- 1
Soften the onion
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- 2
Add stock and potatoes
Pour in the stock, add the potatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 12–15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- 3
Add sorrel
Stir in the sorrel. It will wilt and turn a dull olive-green almost immediately — this is normal. Simmer for 2–3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- 4
Finish and serve
Ladle into bowls. Add a generous dollop of soured cream and a halved hard-boiled egg to each bowl. Garnish with fresh dill and serve at once.
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Pro Tips
- →
Add the sorrel at the very end — prolonged cooking destroys both its colour and flavour.
- →
If sorrel is unavailable, spinach with a squeeze of lemon juice is a workable substitute.
- →
For a richer soup, use a double-concentrated chicken stock.
- →
Taste and adjust salt at the very end — flavors concentrate as liquids reduce, and a final pinch of flaky salt sharpens the whole dish.
Variations
- •
Skābeņu zupa with nettles and wild garlic
- •
Chilled sorrel soup served as a cold starter
- •
Cream of sorrel soup blended smooth
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Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 2 days. The colour will darken but the flavour remains excellent.
History & Origin
Sorrel soups have been made in Latvia and across Eastern Europe since the medieval period, when the first spring greens after a long winter were eagerly harvested. The combination with soured cream and egg is distinctly Baltic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is sorrel safe to eat in large quantities?
Sorrel contains oxalic acid and should be eaten in moderation, particularly by those with kidney issues. A normal bowl of soup is perfectly safe for most people.
Why does sorrel turn brown when cooked?
Heat destroys the chlorophyll in sorrel rapidly. Adding it very late in cooking and not over-cooking minimises this.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes — most of the components can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated separately. Reheat gently and assemble just before serving so textures stay distinct.
What can I substitute if I don't have all the ingredients?
Stay close to the role each ingredient plays: swap aromatics for similar ones (shallot for onion, lime for lemon), and keep the fat-acid-salt balance intact. Spice blends can usually be approximated with what's in the cupboard.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
Time Summary
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