Wild and versatile
For the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean, sorrel soup was a harbinger of spring. The wild perennial, a plant tough enough to endure snow, fed humans in Europe and Asia for thousands of years.
Today, domesticated varieties are essential for soups, sauces and salads from France to Ukraine, both of which have iconic variations of sorrel soup in their national culinary heritage.
Gardeners can ponder more than 100 varieties of the plant, some with striking rhubarb-red veins in the jade-green leaf.
The two types of seedlings you’ll most easily find at local nurseries in the months to come are garden sorrel ( Rumex acetosa) and French sorrel ( Rumex scutatus). They differ in taste, color, leaf shape and size. French is generally more lemony. Both can be steamed, boiled, pureed, eaten raw or frozen.
Like other wild edibles such as amaranth and purslane, sorrel contains oxalic acid and is potentially poisonous if consumed in large quantities.
Getting it: Sorrel starts easily from seed, and once established it can spread rapidly under certain conditions. So consider that your warning: It’s a potentially aggressive perennial, considered invasive by some gardeners who think of it as a weed, albeit an edible one.
A quick sampling of Southern California nurseries indicated most had sold out of seedlings but intended to restock as we get closer to spring. Ask your local nursery if it can special-order the plant for you.