Name: Radziwiłłów Sorrel Soup (Barszcz szczawiowy z Radziwiłłowa)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 180 g fresh sorrel leaves, washed, sorted and finely chopped; 30 ml water, for briefly wilting the sorrel; 20 g unsalted butter; 1.2 L low-sodium light chicken stock or vegetable broth; 120 g carrot, finely diced; 80 g parsnip, finely diced; 60 g celeriac, finely diced; 60 g leek, thinly sliced and washed; 150 g sour cream; 20 g buckwheat flour; 4 g fine salt, plus more only if needed; 1 g ground black pepper; 600 g waxy potatoes, peeled and quartered; 4 l arge eggs

Light broth-based sorrel soup with visible chopped leaves and diced roots; boiled potatoes and a halved hard-cooked egg are served separately.

Yield 4 servings

Serving one bowl of soup, 150 g potatoes and 1 hard-cooked egg

Diet vegetarian if made with vegetable broth; contains dairy and egg

Prep 20 minutes

Ingredients ↓

At a glance

Radziwiłłów Sorrel Soup (Barszcz szczawiowy z Radziwiłłowa)

Introduction: This Mazovian soup pairs bright, tangy sorrel with a light vegetable or chicken broth, a gentle sour-cream and buckwheat thickener, potatoes and a hard-cooked egg.

Barszcz szczawiowy z Radziwiłłowa is associated with Radziwiłłów Mazowiecki in the Mazowieckie region. Sour soups in the area were also called barszcz or borsc. The soup was prepared in several ways, from fresh sorrel in spring and summer or salted sorrel in winter.

The documented method combines chopped sorrel, softened briefly in water or butter, with a light broth. Sour cream and buckwheat flour give it a gentle body, while salt and pepper keep the flavour clear. Potatoes and hard-boiled eggs are among the recorded accompaniments; this measured home version serves both alongside the soup.

Keep the broth pale and loose, with visible leaves rather than a puree. Add the sorrel late, and temper the sour-cream mixture with hot broth so it blends smoothly without curdling.

Tips

Use fresh, tender sorrel leaves; sort and wash them well to remove grit.
Chop the leaves finely so they soften quickly and distribute through the broth.
Cook the root vegetables until just tender; they should remain distinct, not mushy.
Add sorrel near the end, since a long boil dulls its fresh green character.
Whisk buckwheat flour into cool sour cream before tempering it with hot broth.
Heat the thickened soup gently and avoid a rolling boil.
Taste before adding extra salt; stock can vary widely in saltiness.

Ingredients

Sorrel soup

180 g fresh sorrel leaves, washed, sorted and finely chopped
30 ml water, for briefly wilting the sorrel
20 g unsalted butter
1.2 L low-sodium light chicken stock or vegetable broth
120 g carrot, finely diced
80 g parsnip, finely diced
60 g celeriac, finely diced
60 g leek, thinly sliced and washed
150 g sour cream
20 g buckwheat flour
4 g fine salt, plus more only if needed
1 g ground black pepper

Accompaniments

600 g waxy potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 l arge eggs

Method

Directions

Prepare the vegetables.Wash and sort the sorrel, discard damaged leaves and chop finely. Dice the carrot, parsnip and celeriac; wash and slice the leek.
Soften the roots.Melt the butter in a 4 L pot over medium-low heat. Add the carrot, parsnip, celeriac and leek; cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring, until beginning to soften without browning.
Simmer the broth.Pour in the stock or broth. Bring just to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 12–15 minutes, until the root vegetables are easily pierced.
Cook the sorrel.Put the sorrel in a small skillet with 30 ml water. Cover and cook for 2–3 minutes, until wilted. Stir it into the soup and simmer for 3 minutes.
Thicken and season.Whisk the buckwheat flour into the cool sour cream. Gradually whisk in 150 ml hot broth, then slowly stir this mixture into the pot. Warm gently for 3–5 minutes until lightly thickened; do not boil hard. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook the accompaniments.Cover the potatoes with cold water and simmer for 15–18 minutes until fork-tender; drain. Hard-cook the eggs separately for 9–10 minutes, cool briefly in cold water and peel. Divide the soup among four bowls; serve each with 150 g potatoes and one halved egg.

Nutrition and allergens

Energyabout 430 kcal per serving
Proteinabout 15 g
Fatabout 21 g
Saturated fatabout 11 g
Carbohydrateabout 47 g
Sugarsabout 9 g
Fibreabout 6 g

Contains milk, buckwheat and egg. Wash hands and surfaces after handling raw eggs. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat the soup thoroughly.

Nutrition and allergens

Serving and storage: The regional description also lists croutons, noodles, millet groats and bread as serving options. This version uses potatoes and eggs, keeping them separate so the soup stays light. A vegetable broth makes it meat-free; a light chicken stock is another documented route.

Serving and storage: Refrigerate soup, potatoes and eggs within 2 hours in covered containers at 4 °C or colder. Use within 3–4 days. Reheat soup while stirring until steaming throughout and at least 74 °C / 165 °F; bring it to a boil. Reheat potatoes thoroughly. For best texture, cook the sorrel shortly before serving.

Contains milk, buckwheat and egg. Wash hands and surfaces after handling raw eggs. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat the soup thoroughly.

Sodium: about 620 mg

Approximate per serving with potatoes and one egg; sodium varies by broth. Not laboratory analysis.

Radziwiłłów Sorrel Soup (Barszcz szczawiowy z Radziwiłłowa)

Tips

Ingredients

Sorrel soup

Accompaniments

Method

Nutrition and allergens

Nutrition and allergens

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