Too often we omit it in our diet, although it gives dishes a sharp, intense taste. Some people confuse it with spinach. If you don’t know how to use sorrel in the kitchen, try it in the form of salads, sauces or soups. Believe us, it’s worth it!
We know it mainly from the Old Polish cuisine in the form of sour soup called “szczawiówka”. Already in ancient times, this plant was appreciated – the Romans used it, and the father of medicine – Hippocrates – wrote about its healing properties. What is it about sorrel that we should eat it? Can sorrel be eaten in large quantities?
Sorrel and a list of its benefits
The most famous variety sorrel is the ordinary one that can be found in meadows all over Poland. Its flowering period is from May to June. We can recognize it by its oblong leaves and small red flowers. It contains many vitamins and minerals valuable for health:
- Iron,
- Silicon,
- Calcium,
- Magnesium,
- vitamin C,
- vitamin A,
- B vitamins
It has a diuretic and hematopoietic effect, supports digestive processes, will be helpful in heart diseases, strengthens appetite, blocks the development of microorganisms (bacteria and viruses), supports the liver and gall bladder.
Sorrel leaves have a healing effect – tea prepared from them will bring relief in diseases of the liver and kidneys. The infusion prepared for rinsing will heal the ulcerated mouth and hard-to-heal wounds.
Be careful – too much is not healthy!
Sorrel it also has its “dark” side – when eaten in excess, it can be harmful. Better to eat it once in a while. Included in this plant oxalic acid binds to calcium, thus creating a compound that is not absorbed by our body. It can even contribute to the formation of stones.
It should not be consumed by people with gallstones, kidney stones, or with a tendency to form them, suffering from kidney diseases, rheumatism or arthritis.
How to eat it?
A safe amount of sorrel is 50-100 grams in a dish that we supplement with cream, milk or egg. It will be a great addition to fish, meat, soups, salads, sauces, salads, omelettes, sandwiches, pastes. The most popular form, however, is sorrel soup. The simplest sorrel recipe:
- Prepare: 40 grams of sorrel, 8 spring onions, salt, pepper, 4 hard-boiled eggs, 6 glasses of essential broth (even cubed), 4 tablespoons of heavy cream.
- Clean and chop the sorrel,
- Boil the broth, add sorrel, bring to a boil again,
- Remove from the heat, season, add the egg cut into quarters and a spoonful of cream.