The first time I saw sorrel was at The Eden Project in the gift shop. A stunning red veined variety which tasted as beautiful as it looked. I promptly bought a plant which sits happily in my garden for infrequent nibbles. It’s so pretty I don’t want to take too many leaves off it for fear they don’t come back.
Stunning Red Vein Sorrel at The Eden Project
Last year I decided to have a go at planting it at the allotment. It grew wonderfully well on my clay soil. It even survived the winter and bounced back into two large clusters a few weeks ago.
My sorrel bouncing back at the allotment
Other than munch on the leaves and add them to salads, I didn’t really know what to do with it. I put it into pasta using the same method I used for beetroot tagliatelle. It worked a treat. Lovely and lemony.
But I have discovered a very fast way to enjoy it so none of the leaves – even the bitten and wilted ones go to waste. Hummus. It’s perfect. The green leaves give the hummus a vibrant, summery colour and the lemon flavor is subtle but present.
I also experimented with adding a smoky flavour on top of the lemonyness using Halen Mon’s Oak Smoked Water. It worked a treat. Flecks of their wonderful salt also add another layer of interest. You could also use smoked rapeseed oil. I like Stainswick Farm Oak Smoked Rapeseed which I picked up at BBC Good Food Show. It’s much stronger than the water so I would only drizzle on top vs fold in like the water.
Sorrel Hummus
[recipe title=”Sorrel Hummus=”4-6″ time=”15 mins” difficulty=”Easy”]
You’ll need
- 2 400g tins chickpeas
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- approx 250g sorrel leaves
- salt to taste
- smoked water or smoked rapeseed oil to taste – optional
- toasted sunflower seeds to top – optional
To make the hummus simply blitz all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. I used my Froothie blender because it sits on the kitchen counter and has no bits to clean other than the jug. Lazy I know but I did say this was a speedy supper.
Check the seasoning and then sprinkle over the smoked water or oil and scatter with toasted sunflower seeds.
[/recipe]
What do you do with sorrel? What hummus flavours do you like?
Related articles
- Lemon Hummus with Pesto and Crudités (beardandbonnet.com)
- A Colorful Twist on Hummus with Roasted Carrots & Harissa – Delicious Links (thekitchn.com)
- Sorrel risotto (jamieoliver.com)
Chef Jae says
1st July 2015 at 5:47 pmSave me some of that hummus please – I’d love to try!
Urvashi Roe says
1st July 2015 at 8:35 pmToo late! All gone now but I’ll let you know when I have a new batch!
Beautywhizz says
1st July 2015 at 5:59 pmI always foraged for common sorrel back home. My mum makes a sorrel soup with boiled eggs added at the end. One of my favourites as I love it’s sour taste.
Urvashi Roe says
1st July 2015 at 8:35 pmWhere is back home? I love the idea of a sorrel soup with boiled eggs. I made soup last year with some coconut and it worked very well. I must write that recipe up too!
Beautywhizz says
1st July 2015 at 8:38 pmHome is Poland. The soup is really easy to make and perfect for spring/summer. Will get the recipe from my mum.
Urvashi Roe says
6th July 2015 at 8:59 pmThank you!
kellie anderson says
1st July 2015 at 6:18 pmI am a sorrel fan too! I have the variety you have but I also have added the much smaller – and more salad friendly – buckler leaf variety (also called sheep’s sorrel). The leaves look like little green shields and bounce back from w, risotto and pastas, and with the smaller kind I tear off leaves to add into omelettes, on salads and to add a nice sharp and fragrant note to savoury breakfast things, like avocado toast (yeah, I know. Cliche nutritionist breakfast!). Sharing this lovely recipe, and bookmarking.
Urvashi Roe says
1st July 2015 at 8:34 pmThanks Kellie. I will look into the buck leaf variety for the windowsill at home. I love the idea of it with avo toast. Will try that with the next harvest!
kellie anderson says
1st July 2015 at 9:14 pmI’m sure someone at the allotment has some for you to get a bit. A neighbour gave me a small clump and it took straight way. I’m on clay soil too. 😊
circusgardener says
1st July 2015 at 7:22 pmYour hummus looks delicious, and it’s good to see sorrel used in a different way. I must look into the oak smoked water, what an interesting sounding ingredient.
Urvashi Roe says
1st July 2015 at 8:33 pmit’s absolutely fascinating and so heart warming to see a business use what is essentially a by product of a process they are already using. More on Halen Mon to come soon further to a recent trip but worth a purchase. Works really well with beetroot too.
Jen @ Jen's Food says
1st July 2015 at 8:17 pmI’ve never really eaten sorrel apart from nibbling on a wild leaf when Mum spotted it growing on a walk ages ago. Hummus looks like a great idea for making the most of it though.
Urvashi Roe says
1st July 2015 at 8:32 pmI am rather obsessed with the lemony-ness now. Much subtler than adding actual lemon but so tasty. I’m sure it grows wild so can be foraged. I just need to find a stash!
nazima says
1st July 2015 at 9:24 pmI have to say I rather eat it as it comes – so lovely. I have not had much luck cooking with it and preserving the green colour. Would make a lovely pesto am sure
Urvashi Roe says
6th July 2015 at 8:59 pmOh yes a esto would be fabulous. I’ll try that with the next batch
Sally says
2nd July 2015 at 5:48 amTo my knowledge I’ve never eaten sorrel. Love this way of using it and the addition of smoke to hummus. They smoke laban here which would be an amazing addition. Thanks for the inspiration.
Urvashi Roe says
2nd July 2015 at 9:55 pmIs Laban like labneh ? If so that would indeed work well.
Kitchen-Counter-Culture says
2nd July 2015 at 11:58 amI love sorrel too. Did you really want to know what people do with them? I made sweet tarts https://kitchencounterculture121.wordpress.com/2015/05/01/sweet-nettle-and-sorrel-custard-rough-puff-tartlets/ and also a particularly gorgeous soup https://kitchencounterculture121.wordpress.com/2015/04/27/nettles-and-sorrel-for-a-fab-green-soup/ and a particularly old world and strange soup https://kitchencounterculture121.wordpress.com/2015/05/10/schav/. I think it’s kind of a miracle green. I like your idea of using it in hummus.
Urvashi Roe says
2nd July 2015 at 9:56 pmWow! Some amazing ideas there. Thank you. Love the idea of it in custard.
Jeanne Horak-Druiff says
2nd July 2015 at 2:54 pmI hang my head in shame and admit that I have not cooked with, nor would I know what to do with, sorrel! I know, right – what kind of food blogger am I?! 😉 Love the idea of using the leaves in pesto!
Urvashi Roe says
2nd July 2015 at 9:57 pmYes a pesto would be lovely. I think that’s what the next batch is destined for!
the unusual cookbook says
2nd July 2015 at 5:55 pmYour plants look incredible! You should try a sorrel punch! Yummie 🙂
Urvashi Roe says
2nd July 2015 at 9:57 pmOh that sounds delicious! What a brilliant idea. Thank you
the unusual cookbook says
5th July 2015 at 11:44 amNo problem 😉
Pebble Soup says
14th July 2015 at 4:00 pmI adore sorrel, I make a mean sorrel omelette – absolute bliss – thanks for sharing
Urvashi Roe says
16th July 2015 at 5:33 pmA pleasure. Sorrel has sprouted again on the allotment. I’ll try it with omlette!