Sorrel is a plant with tender sour leaves which is used in soups, salads, and sauces. It grows wild in Ukraine, but in Canada it is cultivated in the gardens. Sorrel borshch has a specific character of its own. You can freeze fresh sorrel for the winter. If I don't have sorrel, I use in its place swiss chard and the juice of 4 limes or more to taste.

3 cups or more chopped sorrel
6 cups beef stock or (chicken or vegetable)

2 tablespoon butter
2 onions (chopped)
1 carrot (chopped)
1 stalk celery (chopped)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper
Chopped dill
3 hard cooked eggs sliced (optional)

Cook the onion in the butter until wilted. Add the soup stock and all the vegetables except sorrel. Cook until very tender. (You may also strain and press the vegetables through a sieve when cooked.) Toss in the sorrel and continue cooking for 15 more minutes.

Blend the flour with the sour cream to a smooth paste, stir into the borshch and bring to a boil. Season to taste. Add the dill.

When ready to serve, place half of the hard cooked egg, yolk side up, in the bottom of each soup bowl and fill with the borshch. If you wish you can add chopped green onion or chives.

For additional richness, omit the flour, beat 2 raw egg yolks slightly and blend with the cream. Then pour into the borshch and heat without boiling it. This is the customary way of dressing up sorrel borshch.