Rustic Vegan French Sorrel Soup (Soupe à l'Oseille)
This simple and comforting traditional French soup will warm the very depths of your soul.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup (60 g) shallots, chopped, about 2 medium
- 5 cups (470 g) leeks, about 4 medium, white and light green parts, rinsed and chopped
- 6 cups (1.420 ml) vegetable stock, or 6 cups water plus 2 tablespoons vegetable bouillon paste or 6 bouillon cubes
- 1 bouquet garni, tie the following herbs securely into a bundle with kitchen string:
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, about 1 tablespoon
- 3 stems parsley with leaves, about 4 tablespoons
- 3 fresh bay leaves, or 1 dried bay leaf
- 3 ¼ cups (772 g) ½-inch (1.3 cm) potato chunks, from about 3 large potatoes, peeled
- 4 cups (117 g) fresh sorrel leaves, packed, with stems removed (or substitute for sorrel: 4 cups (about 120 g) packed fresh spinach leaves and 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice, adjusted to taste
- ¾ cup (180 ml) vegan heavy whipping cream
- salt, to taste
- freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 to 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chives, and/or chervil, chopped, optional as a garnish
Instructions
Prepare bouquet garni:
- Place the thyme, parsley, and bay leaves in a bundle, and tie them together firmly with kitchen string to make the bouquet garni. This will make it easier to remove the stems when the soup is done.
Sauté vegetables:
- Using a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the chopped shallots and leeks to the pan and sauté, stirring often until softened, about 10 minutes.
Stir in stock:
- To the pan, add the vegetable stock or water and bouillon paste or cubes.
Add potatoes and bouquet garni:
- Stir in the potatoes and bouquet garni. Increase the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Turn the heat to medium low. Simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
Remove bouquet garni:
- Turn off the heat. Remove the bouquet garni from the pan.
Blend and serve the soup:
- Add the sorrel leaves (or the spinach leaves and lemon juice) and the vegan heavy whipping cream to the pan. Using an immersion blender or regular blender, purée the soup until some chunks of potato remain for texture. Or, if preferred, purée until completely smooth.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour soup into bowls. If desired, sprinkle the additional chopped parsley, chives, and/or chervil on top of the soup. Serve and enjoy!
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