When an Ashkenazi Vegetable Meets a Sephardic Staple: Sorrel Hummus

For years, I was desperate to try sorrel. I think I first became aware of it from Gil Marks’s magisterial Olive Trees and Honey, back in the early days of my interest in Jewish food history, and the concept of a lemony spinach-like green had me absolutely entranced. I adore lemon, I’m pretty solid with spinach, sorrel was THE go-to green of the Ashkenazi shtetl kitchen—what could be better?

The only problem was, sorrel seemed near-impossible to source. I looked all around Manhattan for it, for years, with nary a sighting. I’d just about given up on it when I had my very first sorrel sighting, in Copenhagen of all places. It was on the menu of one of those stylish New Nordic places; I think the dish was sorrel-wrapped asparagus sprinkled with matcha dust or some such. You know the type. One bite and I was smitten.

When I got home, my enthusiasm for the sorrel hunt renewed, I eventually stumbled upon the good stuff at a Russian market in Rego Park, Queens, and, later, at a couple of farmers markets around the city, one by Lincoln Center and the other in Morningside Heights. (Note: these are still the only places I’ve ever seen it; if you know any others please share!)

Naturally, when I finally got my hands on a bunch of my very own, the first thing I made with it was shtetl classic schav, sometimes known as green borscht, a simple broth-based soup consisting primarily of sorrel leaves, often with some egg mixed in for added richness. Reader, I didn’t love it. I recall it being kind of murky and just generally bleh. I haven’t repeated it again since, though I do intend to try another recipe sometime—it’s just that sorrel is so scarce, when I do get my hands on it it’s hard to stray from my go-tos.

One of which is this sorrel hummus. Slightly adapted from Sarah Britton’s My New Roots: Inspired Plant-Based Recipes for Every Season, it was the second thing I ever made with sorrel, and it was as revelatory as the schav was disappointing. It’s your basic hummus, with an extra kick. The sorrel just brings it up to the next level, with that tangy citrus bite and fresh burst of green. Bonus: sorrel is super healthy, and will infuse your hummus with vitamin C, fiber, iron, magnesium, and zinc.

Sorrel is so good, it’s a real shame it’s so hard to find in this country. One day I hope I’ll be in a position to grow my own—I hear it’s pretty easy—but for now I’m just happy if I manage a bunch or two per (perilously brief) season.

Now, if anyone knows where I can find some cardoons . . .

Sorrel Hummus

2 garlic cloves

1 ½ oz / 50 g sorrel leaves, roughly chopped

1 ½ cups / 250 g cooked chickpeas (about 1 15-oz can)

¼ cup / 60 ml tahini

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon salt

Put the garlic in a food processor and pulse to mince. Add the sorrel, chickpeas, tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Blend on the highest setting until smooth. Store in refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Sources: My New Roots: Inspired Plant-Based Recipes for Every Season (Sarah Britton, 2015)