Sorrel Soup (Zupa Szczawiowa)

French Sorrel - you can get some at
Four seasons herbs

The Polish have been foragers for many generations, and our family is no exception, as you might have gathered from the excitement over mushrooming or the collection of - ahem - windfall apples! Sorrel grows wildly in much of Europe, and you can occasionally find patches in Australia as well - though it is not a native here.

To make my foraging life easier, when I found some "French sorrel" at the nursery I just had to get some.  This is a lovely large leafed plant, with leaves that resemble that of English spinach. To look at anyway - the taste is quite different. Sorrel has a slightly lemony tanginess that I adore. There are many other varieties of sorrel - my grandmother used to grow wood sorrel under her trees and I have fond memories of chomping on its tart stalks on summer days.