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Shchavel Borscht (Sorrel Soup)

A white bowl of shchavel borshct, sorrel soup

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Schavel (Sorrel) re-grows year after year. In Russia and Ukraine, sorrel is called shchavel’ (щавель). Shchaveloviy borscht or Green borsch is a classic Ukrainian sorrel soup – we serve it hot with a dollop of sour cream or mayo.

You can make this sorrel soup with pork or vegetarian using a good broth. It also freezes well so you can enjoy this soup in winter. My mom grows Shchavel in her yard and it’s currently flourishing – time to make soup! If you have a yummy recipe with sorrel, I’d love to hear from you!

Sorell Soup

Ingredients for Sorrel Soup:

14 cups water
(if not using pork, you will need 8 cups water plus 6 cups chicken broth)
2 large Pork Loin Chops or 1 pound chicken breasts, sliced or diced
1 Tbsp salt
4-5 medium potatoes (any kind will work), diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
2 Bay Leaves
3 Tbsp Dill (fresh or frozen)
4 cups fresh Schavel, packed, rinsed and chopped (or use 3 cups chopped, frozen Shchavel)
Sour cream or mayo to serve

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How to Make Sorrel Borscht:

1. Fill a large pot with 14 cups water (or water plus chicken broth if not using pork) and bring it to a boil. Next, add the meat, 1 Tbsp of salt and simmer pork partially covered for 30 minutes (or chopped chicken for 10 minutes – I used chicken this time). Use a spoon to skim off any impurities that rise to the top.

Sorrel Soup

2. After meat is done cooking,  add diced potatoes, 2 bay leaves and lightly boil 15 minutes or until potatoes can be pierced with a fork.

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3. While potatoes are cooking, saute 1 diced onion in 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat until golden brown and add to the pot with the soup.

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4. Next, lightly beat 2 eggs together and stir them in to the pot.

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5. When potatoes are cooked through, stir in Shchavel (Sorrel) and Dill. Return pot to a boil and simmer additional 3-5 minutes or until sorrel is soft. Adding more sorrel (щавель) will make your soup/borscht more sour.

Sorrel Soup-4
Sorrel Soup-11

Serve hot with an optional dollop of sour cream or mayo.

Sorrel Soup-8

 

Shchavel Borscht (Sorrel Soup)

4.97 from 30 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
A white bowl of shchavel borshct, sorrel soup
Schavel (Sorrel) re-grows year after year. In Russia and Ukraine, sorrel is called shchavel' (щавель). Shchaveloviy borscht or Green borsch is a classic Ukrainian soup - we serve it hot with a dollop of sour cream or mayo. You can make it with pork or vegetarian using a good broth. It also freezes well so you can enjoy this soup in winter. My mom grows Shchavel in her yard and it's currently flourishing - time to make soup! If you have a yummy recipe with sorrel, I'd love to hear from you!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8
  • 14 cups water
  • if not using pork, you will need 8 cups water plus 6 cups chicken broth
  • 2 large Pork Loin Chops or 1 pound chicken breasts, sliced or diced
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 4-5 medium potatoes, any kind will work, diced
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 3 Tbsp Dill, fresh or frozen
  • 4 cups fresh Schavel, packed, rinsed and chopped (or use 3 cups chopped, frozen Shchavel)
  • Sour cream or mayo to serve

Instructions

  • Fill a soup pot with 14 cups water (or water plus chicken broth if not using meat ). Bring to a boil. Then, add meat, 1 Tbsp of salt and simmer pork partially covered for 30 minutes (or chicken for 10 minutes). Use a spoon to skim off any impurities that rise to the top.
  • When the timer goes off on your meat, add diced potatoes, 2 bay leaves and lightly boil 15 minutes or until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.
  • While potatoes are cooking, saute 1 diced onion in 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat until golden brown and add to the pot with the soup.
  • Next, lightly beat 2 eggs together and stir them into the pot.
  • When potatoes are cooked through, stir in Shchavel (Sorrel) and Dill. Return pot to a boil and simmer additional 3-5 minutes or until sorrel is soft. P.S. Adding more sorrel (шавель) will make your soup/borscht more sour.
  • Serve hot with optional dollop of sour cream or mayo.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: Shchavel Borscht (Sorrel Soup)
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

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Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the creator behind Natasha's Kitchen (established in 2009), and I share family-friendly, authentic recipes. I am a New York Times Best-Selling cookbook author and a trusted video personality in the culinary world. My husband, Vadim, and I run this blog together, ensuring every recipe we share is thoroughly tested and approved. Our mission is to provide you with delicious, reliable recipes you can count on. Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy you are here.

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4.97 from 30 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  • Natalie
    April 28, 2024

    Where do you get your sorrel from? I tried growing it, with zero success. I also tried pickled one that they sell at the European grocery store….it’s not the same. This is one of my favorite soups, but I can’t find fresh sorrel in the US.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      April 28, 2024

      Hi Natalie! See my note in the blog above, my mom grows this in her garden.

      Reply

  • Diana
    September 20, 2023

    Hey Natasha! I want to make this but I have a question – if I use chicken, do I still need to add the chicken broth?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      September 21, 2023

      Hi Diana, I would – otherwise it will be a little bland. If you were boiling the chicken with bones for several hours first to extract flavor then maybe, but just adding chicken won’t be enough.

      Reply

  • S
    January 11, 2023

    I made this tonight with pork and used spinach + lemon juice since I can’t get sorrel where I live. I served it with toast, sour cream, and chopped hard-boiled eggs rather than stirring in the eggs. It was delicious! My son and I both went back for seconds. I had to add a lot more salt than the recipe called for but I’ll definitely be making it again!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 11, 2023

      I’m glad you loved the recipe, thank you for the feedback!

      Reply

  • L Luciuk
    June 9, 2021

    One of the great Ukrainian soups. A neighbour grows sorrel so I can make it just like it is traditionally enjoyed in Ukraine.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 9, 2021

      Yum! That’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

      Reply

  • Liz
    June 8, 2021

    I have been looking to make this soup for a long time but could never find sorrel. My friend actually was growing sorrel and I was able to use this for the recipe! I made pork broth in the instant pot the night before. Didn’t make too many changes, just some minced garlic and added more fresh dill. But, this soup was so good. I love how the sorrel melts in your mouth with that tangy sour taste. Best part, the soup was easy to make!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 9, 2021

      Hello Liz, thank you so much for your great review! I’m happy to know that you loved this recipe.

      Reply

  • Matthew a.k.a NightBroom
    February 14, 2021

    Hey Natasha it’s the guy on yt and I see raw chicken in a super large aluminum stock pot is that a super large aluminum stock pot

    Reply

  • Walter
    July 18, 2020

    Hi Natasha, love your recipes!
    I just had some Schavel Green Borscht soup. What an amazing flavor. Terrific cold summer soup. Problem is finding sorrel that grows anywhere in southern Delaware. Can dried sorrel work?
    Walter

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 19, 2020

      Hi Walter, I haven’t tried that yet but I imagine that should also work. A couple of our readers have reported great results with using spinach and lemon juice also but I haven’t tried it myself. If you test it out, let me know how you liked it! 🙂

      Reply

    • Darlene
      September 23, 2020

      As far as I know per Mother-in -Law from Prussia. They grew their own Sorrel. She really made the best. Six cups of Fresh cut Sorrel. Adding raw bacon at the very end. So so good good. Add other ingredients as desired. The very best. Took some to a workplace and gave some to a client. She could not believe it! Had not had “SHIVAS” in such a long time. Main ingredient would be Sorrel Chopped and cooked light with bacon. May be served cold. Ummmmm

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        September 23, 2020

        Thank you so much for sharing that with us! I hope you enjoy our version!

        Reply

  • Cham
    December 8, 2019

    This is delicious. I have tasted shchavel soup before but this is my first time cooking it myself and it is a success! Thank you Natasha for this recipe.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 9, 2019

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Cham!

      Reply

    • Jenya
      March 19, 2020

      Hi Natasha can I make this soup with no chicken or any meat in it ? I will make the chicken broth but can I omit breast or pork. I hate meat in my soup

      Thank you!

      Reply

      • Natasha
        March 19, 2020

        Hi Jenya, it does add good flavor but should still work to omit.

        Reply

      • Darlene
        September 23, 2020

        Try raw bacon at the very end chopped just like the six cups of Sorrel.

        Reply

  • Becky
    November 4, 2019

    Fabulous! Another way to get daily greens in our diet, but with a refreshingly different flavor. First time tasting щавель. Вкусный суп! (I’m a beginning Russian language студентка.) I stumbled across it our our local farmer’s market, being sold by a former Russian with proceeds going to her church. She told me soup was made from sorrel. YUM! Thanks for posting!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 4, 2019

      You’re welcome, Becky! Thank you for that awesome review!

      Reply

  • stefan karpov
    September 15, 2019

    This spring, I ordered sorrel seeds from Russia and Ukraine via Amazon. And currently enjoying a great bowl of soup product of those seeds.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 16, 2019

      Thank you so much for sharing that with me. That’s so great.

      Reply

  • Diana
    July 19, 2019

    Hi Natasha,
    Thank you so much for identifying this soup for me. My Ukrainian mother-in-law always made it in summer and I always loved it but she could never explain in English what the ingredients were – and my husband did not know either.
    At first i thought it was your other summer soup recipe – the one for the cold soup with ham and cucumbers – but then I saw this one and I know this it it! It has a distinct flavour from the sorrel leaves. I always wondered what they were.
    Thanks you!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 19, 2019

      I’m so happy you discovered our recipe!! I hope you love it! Thank you for sharing that with me

      Reply

  • Natalie
    February 17, 2019

    I am Russian but born here. My mom, God rest her soul made the BEST Schav soup.Both hot and cold…. She used Mother`s Schav in a glass jar as a shortcut for fresh sorrel as a base for the soup, but now it is not available anywhere anymore it seems. Can using spinach and some lemon juice be used instead as a substitute?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 17, 2019

      Hi Natalie, thank you so much for sharing that with me! Yes, spinach and lemon juice are great substitutes. Several of our readers have reported great results!

      Reply

  • Nicole gallo
    May 28, 2018

    Made this soup tonight. It was delicious!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      May 29, 2018

      I’m glad you love the recipe Nicole! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

  • Amanda
    January 2, 2018

    This is such a delicious soup. I’ve made it three times now and we love it. Even the kids eat love it! Is it okay to freeze it?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 2, 2018

      Hi Amanda, I’m so glad you loved it!! I haven’t tried freezing it but I think that would work. Thank you for the wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Iryna
    December 5, 2017

    Great recipe! I buy canned sorrel in local Ukrainian store. Unfortunately, it is impossible to find fresh sorrel in America. I never stir beaten eggs in the soup. Serve with sour cream and chopped hard boiled eggs.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 6, 2017

      I’m glad you enjoy it Iryna! Thanks for sharing your review with other readers!

      Reply

    • bri
      April 29, 2018

      It’s pretty easy to grow, even if you have limited space!

      Reply

    • Kristin
      January 6, 2019

      I found fresh sorrel at our local farmers market last summer. I bought enough to use and freeze, so now I’m making the soup again in the middle of the winter. Yum!

      Reply

    • Olga
      March 14, 2021

      I also use hard boiled eggs cut in circles, it just looks so much better this way than raw egg added into the soup.
      Also, smb just told me Whole Foods has sorrell sometimes.
      Natasha, we love your recipes! Thank you!

      Reply

      • Natasha's Kitchen
        March 14, 2021

        I’m glad to hear that, Olga. Thank you for your good comments and feedback!

        Reply

  • Nonna
    October 26, 2017

    I have been looking for this recipe. Mom made it, sorrel grew in our garden. The difference was she used chopped hard boiled eggs. Thanks. Looks easy enough!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      October 26, 2017

      You’re welcome Nonna! I hope you love it! Please let me know what you think!

      Reply

  • virginia markewych
    October 15, 2017

    looks great…..I use beef (chuck or flank steak) for my broth, I cheat and add a container of Campbells tomato soup, but to get “green borscht” I just add more and more beet leaves until it turns green….will try yours

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      October 15, 2017

      Great suggestions Virginia! Please let me know what you think of the recipe when you decide to make it!

      Reply

  • Yelena
    September 10, 2017

    Can I use spinach instead of sorrel?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 11, 2017

      Hi Yelena, A couple of our readers have reported great results with using spinach and lemon juice but I haven’t tried it myself. If you test it out, let me know how you liked it! 🙂

      Reply

      • Kate
        December 19, 2018

        Hello. Since I don’t like canned sorrel, I am using fresh spinach and fresh lemon juice. It turns out great!

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          December 19, 2018

          Those are great substitutes! Thank you for sharing that with me!!

          Reply

  • marilyn turner
    July 19, 2017

    love this soup.Can I freeze my sorrel? If so how… Thanks Marilyn

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 19, 2017

      Hi Marilyn, yes sorrel freezes really well! Rinse, dry and chop then store in containers or freezer safe ziploc bags in the freezer. Put them into your soup frozen – no need to thaw 🙂

      Reply

      • marilyn Turner
        July 21, 2017

        Thanks, I will do that.just found sorrel at my local farmer’s market.

        Reply

  • Gail
    April 30, 2017

    Madee the sorrel soup with chicken, I also made and added dumplings. Loved it with the sour cream addition too!! Yummy

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 30, 2017

      Gail, thank you for such a nice review 😬

      Reply

    • marina
      October 9, 2017

      Gail, where did you buy sorrel?

      Reply

    • marina
      October 9, 2017

      Gail, where did you buy sorrel?

      Reply

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