Potato and Sorrel Soup with White Wine

I used to eat soup every day. I don’t know what happened, but somehow I got sucked in the world of no soup. It’s not a sad place, just drier.

But then I was craving soup (and had a bunch of sorrel), and decided to make a classic potato and sorrel soup. Normally that means blending boiled potatoes up with broth and poached sorrel. There’s some onion and garlic involved. It’s pretty simple. But I like chewing. And I found a recipe in the New York Times Cookbook for one that kept the potatoes intact and added the sorrel mixed with heavy cream on top. Instead I did it as a kind of pesto (dairy-free, vegan). It’s kind of the same thing…just with a few adjustments.

Potato and Sorrel Soup with White Wine

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced (or a leek)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
9 fingerling potatoes (or 3 large Yukons), diced
1/2 tsp salt, divided
freshly ground pepper
1 bunch sorrel (about 3 ounces), or use spinach and 2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup blanched and toasted almonds

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion ad garlic and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook until almost evaporated. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, half the salt, and the pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer for 8 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through. If your dice is larger than a cooking school 1/4″, it could take 10 minutes or so.

Combine sorrel, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, almonds, and enough stock from soup to blend in a food processor or blender. Serve the soup with a spoonful of the sorrel pesto. Try to make it artsy…Clearly, I failed.