French Style Red Sorrel Two Bean Soup Recipe
Rich and Nutritious, this french soup is perfect for the cold winter nights.
Red Veined sorrel leaves are the base for this delicious Bean Sorrel Soup. This is a nutritious 2 Bean Sorrel soup as it is made from fresh sorrel leaves, french beans and black eyed peas.
This is a very tasty lemony soup. Potatoes are usually added to Sorrel soup, however I have not done so. Instead I have included in the ingredients, fennel and celery to give a bit of body to the soup, and tarragon and parsley for flavour and nutrition. As it is made in the French style, there is butter and cream too.
Did You Know- The nutrient and health properties of sorrel are numerous. Sorrel is rich in vitamin C and was of great value as it could prevent scurvy at times when fresh fruits and vegetables were not available. It contains Vitamins A, E, Beta carotene and other carotenoids, as well as potassium which helps in lowering Blood pressure. It is said to have anti inflammatory properties as well as being a diuretic. Sorrel is used medically for reducing pain and swelling or inflammation of the nasal passages and the respiratory tract, as it is said to cause dryness in mucous production and is therefore popular along with other herbs and flowers in treating sinusitis. It is also used to supplement the medication in the treatment of bacterial infections.
Sorrel is not advised for consumption by those suffering from arthritis, kidney stones, other kidney related diseases, and during pregnancy.
Serve French Style Red Sorrel Two Bean Soup along with Garlic Bread for a weeknight dinner.
If you like this recipe, you can also try other soup recipes such as
10 M
30 M
40 M
4 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil , extra virgin
- 1 tablespoon Butter (Unsalted)
- 1 cup Red onion , minced
- 2 tablespoon Fennel bulb , washed, trimmed and minced
- 2 tablespoon Leek , washed, trimmed and minced
- 1 cup French Beans , washed, trimmed, sliced thinly
- 1 tablespoon Celery , washed, trimmed and minced
- 2 cups Sorrel Leaves (Gongura) , shredded
- 4 cups Vegetable stock
- Salt , to taste
- Black pepper powder , to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon Tarragon , fresh and minced (1/4 tablespoon if dried tarragon used)
- 1/2 tablespoon Parsley leaves , fresh and minced (1/4 tablespoon if dried parsley used)
- 1 cup Black Eyed Beans (Lobia) , cooked
- 1/2 cup Fresh cream , light one
How to make French Style Red Sorrel Two Bean Soup Recipe
To begin making French Style Red Sorrel Two Bean Soup Set all the ingredients ready to prepare. Check that the butter is at room temperature.
If the black eyed beans are not cooked, pressure cook for 2 whistles with enough water to just cover the beans, and add a little salt before setting it on the stove.
Drain when done and keep aside till required. Separate sorrel leaves from stalks, and slice away any thick mid vein.
Wash and drain the sorrel and shred the leaves. Wash, trim and mince leek and fennel. Thinly slice onion and beans, wash and mince tarragon and parsley.
Heat a thick bottomed pan and add the olive oil. Heat on low flame till it is warm but not smoking.
Add butter, let it melt. Add onion, sauté.
Add fennel and leek slices, sauté for about 5 minutes on low flame, stirring frequently so they do not brown.
Add sliced french beans, sauté for 5 minutes on low flame, stirring frequently so the vegetables do not brown.
Add celery slices, saute. Add the stock, bring it to a boil and then reduce the flame to low so the stock simmers.
Add the sorrel leaves, bring once more to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes on low flame.
Add the seasoning (salt and pepper) and stir.
Add the cooked black eyed peas, stir and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Add minced parsley and tarragon, stir.
Add the cream after reserving about 2 tablespoons for garnish, and stir, keeping the stove on low flame.
Serve French Style Red Sorrel Two Bean Soup along with Garlic Bread for a weeknight dinner.
1. The addition of beans to the sorrel gives a little thickness to the otherwise watery bean sorrel soup. You could puree the cooked ingredients after simmering the stock with the sorrel leaves, but the soup then turns a rather muddy and unappetising colour. As I do prefer my soups chunky, I have not therefore pureed it but have minced the fennel, celery, leek and french beans to keep the ingredients small sized.
2. Sorrel soup is known for its sour taste – (almost like a tart green apple) which is due to the presence of oxalic acid in the leaves (also called “sorrel acid” in Slavic languages) . The sour taste may be negated by adding sour cream to the soup, since oxalic acid reacts with calcium and casein. Young tender leaves are less sour than the older mature ones.
3. As a variation, egg yolk may be added to the bean sorrel soup just before taking it off the stove.
