Equipment
Ingredients
Produce
- 800 g ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
- 100 g fresh sorrel, washed, tough stems removed
- 1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 garlic, peeled
Pantry & Dairy
- 120 ml heavy cream, cold
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 15 ml white wine vinegar
- 8 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 256 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 12 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 796 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 34 mg
- Potassium
- 558 mg
- Calcium
- 64 mg
- Iron
- 0.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 28 mg
- Phosphorus
- 76 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 408 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 40 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 9 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.06 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 6 mcg
- Water
- 32 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Core and roughly chop the tomatoes. Roughly chop the shallot and peel the garlic.
In a high-powered blender, combine the chopped tomatoes, shallot, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and white wine vinegar. Blend on high until completely smooth.
Add the prepared fresh sorrel leaves to the blender. Pulse and blend briefly just until the leaves are incorporated and the soup takes on a vibrant, green-flecked hue.
Pass the blended soup through a fine mesh strainer into a large mixing bowl, using a ladle or spatula to press the liquid through while discarding the tomato skins and seeds.
Whisk 100ml of the heavy cream, kosher salt, and black pepper into the strained soup. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Cover the bowl tightly and chill in the refrigerator until the temperature drops to at least 4 C / 39 F. This requires a minimum of 2 hours and allows the flavors to meld.
Ladle the cold soup into chilled bowls. Garnish with a swirl of the remaining 20ml heavy cream and finely sliced ribbons of the reserved sorrel leaves.
Chef's Notes
- Sorrel contains oxalic acid, which provides its signature lemony tang but causes it to turn a drab olive color when exposed to heat. Keeping the soup entirely raw and cold preserves both its punchy flavor and vibrant appearance.
- The quality of this dish relies entirely on the produce. Use tomatoes that feel heavy for their size and yield slightly to gentle pressure.
- Whisking the heavy cream to soft peaks before folding it into the soup, rather than just pouring it in, can give the final dish a remarkably light and velvety mouthfeel.
- Chilling your serving bowls in the freezer for 15 minutes before plating ensures the soup remains refreshingly cold through the entire meal.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Keep tightly sealed. The color may dull slightly over time due to the acidity of the sorrel.
Troubleshooting
Soup color is dull or brown instead of vibrant.
Cause: Sorrel was over-blended, causing heat friction, or the tomatoes were highly acidic and sat too long before chilling.
Fix: Cannot be fixed visually, but the flavor remains perfectly intact.
Prevention: Blend the sorrel briefly at the very end of the process and chill the soup immediately.
Soup is excessively tart or sharp.
Cause: The sorrel was exceptionally high in oxalic acid, or the tomatoes lacked natural sweetness.
Fix: Stir in a tiny pinch of granulated sugar and an extra splash of heavy cream to mellow the acidity.
Prevention: Taste the tomatoes before blending; if they are not sweet, be prepared to adjust.
Soup is too thin and watery.
Cause: The tomatoes used had a very high water content with little flesh.
Fix: Blend in a slice of crustless, stale white bread to thicken the soup instantly.
Prevention: Use dense, meaty tomatoes like heirlooms or Roma varieties.
Cultural Context
Sorrel has a rich history in French and Eastern European country cooking, most traditionally showcased in hot, creamy preparations like Potage Germiny or Russian Shchi. Adapting these classic flavor pairings into a chilled, gazpacho-style application modernizes the profile, harnessing sorrel's bright, lemony bite for the peak heat of summer.
