Name: Shida Kartli Wild Sorrel Shechamandi
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 2 h
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 200 g food-grade dried wild sorrel leaves (gholo / dock-sorrel type), sorted and rinsed; 2 L cold water for soaking; discard after soaking; 2 L fresh water for blanching; discard after blanching; 2 L fresh water for the soup; reserve about 250 ml hot broth to mix with the walnuts; 200 g walnut kernels, finely ground; 20 g wheat bread flour; 20 ml neutral vegetable oil; 10 g garlic (about 2 medium cloves), finely grated; 20 g plum tklapi (sour plum fruit leather), finely chopped; 5 g fine salt, or to taste; 0.5 g ground black pepper, or to taste; 20 g fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

Wide view of deep green sorrel soup topped with coriander and dark sour-plum tklapi strips.

Yield6 soup servings

Serving basisOne-sixth of the finished pot, about 350–400 ml

DifficultyModerate; squeeze the rehydrated leaves well and stir the flour paste in gradually

DietVegan; contains walnut and wheat/gluten

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The dish

About Shida Kartli Wild Sorrel Shechamandi

### ღოლოს შეჭამანდი — walnut-thickened sorrel soup with tart plum

A warm Shida Kartli soup of dried wild sorrel, ground walnuts and plum tklapi, gently thickened with a little flour worked into vegetable oil.

Shechamandi is a family of Georgian soups that can be built around one principal ingredient. Georgia Travel documents wild-sorrel shechamandi as a well-known Shida Kartli version, where greens and fruit are often dried for colder months. The Georgian source calls this leaf ღოლო (gholo); its English edition describes it as wild sorrel. This recipe follows that dried-leaf version and does not suggest that every shechamandi uses the same ingredients.

The dried leaves are soaked, briefly boiled until soft, cooled, squeezed and finely chopped. They then simmer in fresh water. Ground walnuts are whisked with a little hot broth before going into the pot, while a smooth paste of wheat flour and vegetable oil gives the soup a light body. Plum tklapi adds a tart, fruity note; chopped coriander finishes the bowl.

Use food-grade dried sorrel from a known supplier rather than unidentified foraged leaves. The exact leaf and plum-leather products can vary, so the quantities here give a repeatable home version. Taste before serving: tklapi varies in acidity, and a little more may be added if you want a sharper finish.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Shida Kartli Wild Sorrel Shechamandi

Sorrel preparation

200 gfood-grade dried wild sorrel leaves (gholo / dock-sorrel type), sorted and rinsed
2 Lcold water for soaking; discard after soaking
2 Lfresh water for blanching; discard after blanching

Soup and thickener

2 Lfresh water for the soup; reserve about 250 ml hot broth to mix with the walnuts
200 gwalnut kernels, finely ground
20 gwheat bread flour
20 mlneutral vegetable oil
10 ggarlic (about 2 medium cloves), finely grated
20 gplum tklapi (sour plum fruit leather), finely chopped
5 gfine salt, or to taste
0.5 gground black pepper, or to taste

Finish

20 gfresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

Method

Soak the dried leaves. Sort the sorrel, removing any hard stems or foreign material, and rinse it under cold water. Cover with the measured soaking water and leave for 60 minutes. Drain and discard this water.
Blanch, cool and chop. Bring the separate blanching water to a boil. Add the sorrel and cook for about 12–15 minutes, until soft. Drain well, let cool for about 10 minutes, then squeeze out excess water and chop the leaves finely.
Simmer the sorrel. Bring the 2 L fresh soup water to a boil in a large pot. Add the chopped sorrel, return to a gentle boil and cook for about 5 minutes.
Thicken with flour and oil. Stir the flour and vegetable oil together in a small bowl to make a smooth paste. Whisk in a ladle of hot broth, then gradually stir the mixture into the pot. Keep stirring until the soup thickens lightly and the raw flour smell has gone.
Add walnuts and sour plum. Take about 250 ml hot broth from the pot and whisk the ground walnuts into it until smooth. Return this mixture to the pot. Add garlic, salt, pepper and the chopped tklapi. Simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, stirring often.
Rest and serve. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the coriander, cover and leave for 5–10 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt or tklapi, then serve warm.

Practical guidance

Tips for success

Keep the soaking, blanching and soup water separate as listed; the first two are drained away and the final 2 L forms the broth.
Squeeze the cooked sorrel firmly after it cools. Excess water makes the finished soup thin and dilutes its flavor.
Make the flour-and-oil paste smooth before adding it. Stir continuously as it enters the pot so it thickens evenly without lumps.

Practical notes

If tklapi is unavailable, a small amount of unsweetened sour plum leather is the closest stand-in. Add it gradually; sweet fruit leather will change the character of the soup.
The soup should be lightly thickened and spoonable, not as dense as a nut paste. Add a little hot water if it tightens while standing.
Cool leftovers in shallow covered containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at 4 °C or colder. Use within 3–4 days. Reheat while stirring to at least 74 °C / 165 °F throughout, or bring the soup to a rolling boil.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated nutrition per serving

Serving size: One-sixth of the finished pot, about 350–400 ml
Energy: About 320 kcal
Carbohydrates: About 17 g
Protein: About 10 g
Fat: About 25 g
Fibre: About 8 g
Sodium: About 400 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains walnut (tree nut) and wheat (gluten). Check labels on walnuts, flour, tklapi and oil for additional allergens or cross-contact. Use commercially sold, identified sorrel leaves; do not use unidentified foraged plants. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow covered containers within 2 hours at 4 °C or colder and use within 3–4 days. Reheat throughout to at least 74 °C / 165 °F or bring to a rolling boil.

The result

The finished soup is olive green, gently thick, tart from plum tklapi and rounded by ground walnuts.
Serve warm as a substantial first course, with fresh coriander added just before the bowls reach the table.