Catholic Recipe: Sorrel Soup

Also Called: Zeleni Borsch

Sorrel or suring is wild plant with pointed leaves and red flowers. The tase is a strong sour lemon flavor. Pick it young. It is full of vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals. After a long winter, it's a great ingredient to refresh and clean out your blood in the spring.

In the Ukraine, the winter diet was based on minimum of staples--root vegetables, canned, pickled or dried items and various grains and flours. Meat was not as comon.

On Christmas Eve the Sviata Vechera or Traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve Supper is served. It includes twelve different and special dishes, but all without meat, since Christmas Eve was traditionally a day of abstinence. Since this borscht has meat, it is suitable for the Christmas season as a "special" dish or if you aren't observing the meatless Sviata Vechera.

DIRECTIONS

Simmer meat and bone in salted water in deep saucepot 1 1/2 hours. Add potatoes, seasonings. Cook 20 minutes. Add eggs, sour cream, sorrel. Boil 5 minutes. Serve immediately.