Sorrel: A Delicious Plant That Is Good for You!

Garden sorrel has been grown for human consumption since antiquity. It is a plant with edible leaves and stems, that has a pleasantly sharp, sour taste, and for centuries has been much used as an essential ingredient in French and Central and Eastern European cuisine. Made into a number of different soups and sauces, and often used in salad, it does contain a small amount of oxalic acid, which can be fatal in large quantities. However, a small amount of oxalic acid weekly or so, as you would get with normal use, will not harm you.

Garden sorrel (Rumex acetosa) is native to England, and there is another common variety, French sorrel, (Rumex scutatus) with very similar properties to the English variety.

Because both garden and French sorrel are broad-leaved plants, either needs regular and plentiful moisture, and therefore, if you are growing this herb in a dry area, it will need regular watering and care. If you are having a drought, you will also want to give the plant extra care. Both varieties of this delicious plant are hardy and perennial but will not survive a major freeze (overnight freezes are fine as long as it is reasonably warm during the day). You can grow either kind of plant from seeds or by dividing a mature plant, and if you harvest the leaves regularly, you will always have a supply of young, fresh, tender leaves. This favourite garden herb grows about two feet high and blooms in June or July. The leaves spread out from the center of the plant, so allow eighteen inches to two feet between plants. The plant is dioecious (the stamens and pistils are on two separate plants), so you will need both a male plant and a female plant to fertilize and produce seeds for growing the next generation of plants.

I usually start sorrel in the Aerogarden seed starting system and transplant it outside as soon as the first pair of leaves appear.

Unfortunately, the leaves lose much of their flavour when they are dried, so use the leaves fresh or frozen (chop up a leaf, put in an ice cube tray, fill with water, and freeze). You can use the leaves to make sauces and soups, add them raw to salads or casseroles, cook them like spinach or greens, or make them into a refreshing hot or iced tea. However, my absolute favourite way to use sorrel is to add it to mint and lemon balm, and puree it in a blender, and make a lovely, refreshing sorbet!

Please consume garden or French sorrel with caution, especially if you suffer from gout. If you have any concerns, please check with your physician before eating sorrel as a regular part of your diet.

Sorrel Aïoli

Yields 1½ cups of aïoli

With its delicate flavour reminiscent of lemons, this incredible aïoli sauce complements fish, chicken and can even be used in place of mayonnaise in any recipe (or even on your favourite sandwiches). Don't forget about using it in bouillabaisse, too!

1 cup firmly packed sorrel leaves, torn into small bits
¼ cup chives, chopped
1 egg yolk
2 t lemon juice
½ t salt
1 cup walnut, hazelnut, avocado, olive or grapeseed oil

Put all of the ingredients in blender except the oil. Blend until a fine, smooth consistency is achieved. Remove the top of the blender (while it is running on low speed), and add the oil in a thin stream, until it forms an emulsion. Store the aïoli sauce tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Nutritional information (per serving): 86 calories; 0g proteins; 10g fat (1g saturated); 0g carbohydrates; 9mg cholesterol; 49mg sodium; 0g fiber; 0g sugars

Green Goddess Dressing

Yields 1½ cups

In addition to tossed salads, this Green Goddess dressing is great with chicken salad or tuna salad!

1 cup firmly packed sorrel, soft parts of leaves only (removing the ribs and stems)
¾ cup sour cream (the nutritional information given below is for low-fat sour cream)
½ cup chervil leaves
½ cup chopped chives
3 T olive oil
3 anchovies
2 T lemon juice
½ t sugar
¼ t lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste

Put all the ingredients in the blender, and blend to the desired consistency. Serve with salad, on sandwiches, or anywhere you can think of (I like it on crostini).

Nutritional information (per serving): 27 calories; 1g proteins; 2g fat (1g saturated); 2g carbohydrates; 3mg cholesterol; 75mg sodium; 0g fiber; 1g sugar

6oz. Dried Sorrel

2T Dried Ginger

1/8t Ground Allspice

Combine ingredients in water and boil about 10 minutes, then strain and enjoy hot or cold.

Sorrel is much more that a holiday beverage. There are quite a few health benefits of sorrel. Because sorrel is a natural laxative, only a small amount should be used at any one time. It could cause the stomach to react badly. However, medical studies have been performed showing that this herb can help improve a person’s quality of life and help to maintain the health and function of the whole body.

This wonderful herb is very nutritious, and contains very high levels of carotenoids, which consist of one-third carotene or provitamin A, the rest comprising lutein and zeaxanthin. As powerful antioxidants, carotenoids play a beneficial role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. These compounds have a specific protective effect on the retina. 200g of sorrel provides you with 30% of your daily iron requirements, 60% of your daily magnesium requirements, 90% of your daily vitamin B9 and C requirements and over 100% of your daily provitamin A requirements.

The herb provides a good variety of vitamins and minerals (see the table for nutritional information below), as well as flavonoids, thought to be a powerful antioxidant. (What is an antioxidant? You can think of oxides in the body similar to rust; antioxidants remove oxides from the body, which help the body to function better.) The flavonoids which are present in this plant may deter certain kinds of cancer and generally enhance the functioning of the immune system. Recent studies conducted by the Northern Caribbean University, Jamaica, prove that sorrel has the ability to kill certain types of cancer cells. Sorrel tea is consumed daily in some African countries, and Mexican researchers have documented a significant reduction in triglyceride levels of persons who consume sorrel. (Elevated triglycerides are thought to correlate with heart disease.)

Studies from the Mexican Institute of Social Security show that ‘sorrel water’ (an infusion where fresh sorrel leaves are left to soak in water overnight) decreases cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It also prevents clogging of arteries which are the result of elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, and has been noted for its diuretic properties. Abigail Aguilar Contreras, a Mexican professor, recommends that people who wish to lose weight add drinking a liter of sorrel water (10 grams of sorrel to one liter of water) to their weight-loss regimen.

The anti-oxidant properties in the plant can also help fight other problems caused by free radicals, including aging of the skin, and free radicals are implicated in stroke and Alzheimer's disease as well.

Sorrel leaves have been used to treat itchy skin, fever, scurvy, and ringworm. Cut then thinly and sprinkle over salads or soups to relieve these ailments. Even if someone doesn’t have these issues, sorrel makes a great addition to a meal. It can be incorporated into meals as a sauce that can accompany fish or chicken dishes.

Sorrel tea is supposed to be helpful in treating jaundice and kidney stones. The liquid from its leaves have been used to help certain rashes. The leaves can act as a diuretic and are believed to benefit prostate health. The entire sorrel plant has also been used to treat hemorrhages.