You probably aren’t familiar with schav, named one of the “Five Worst Jewish Foods” in D Magazine. Yeeeeah. The sorrel soup is not exactly popular. But I revamped it as a vegan chilled avocado cucumber soup and now it’s the coolest kid in school!
I’ll admit that I was scared when I first purchased sorrel (surprisingly easy to find at farmer’s markets and supermarkets alike, and simple to grow.)
I had heard horror stories of the tart herb, so when I took a tiny bite, I expected the worst. Plus, I learned that the sharp taste comes from oxalic acid, which is fatal in large quantities. Gulp. But what I got was bright, lemony and with a hint of unripe strawberries. I liked it!
Sorrel is the necessary main ingredient in schav, the muddy, chilled soup of Eastern European roots and a bad reputation.
Back in Eastern Europe, when winter diets were filled with bland potatoes and cabbage, the fresh sorrel was a welcome change. According to Gil Marks in “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food”, schav was usually dairy or pareve to go along with the lighter summer fare. Jews from southern Poland, also known as Galicia, even added sugar to theirs to create a sweet and sour soup. Schav was also a food of survival during the Holocaust, making its significance even more vital. When Jewish immigrants came to the United States, they could still purchase sorrel from vendors on the Lower East Side, but as time went on, the unattractive soup dwindled in popularity.
Dallas-based blogger Evan Grant named schav #1 on his list of the “Five Worst Jewish Foods” in D Magazine calling it “borscht’s pale green sister”. Ouch. When I told Evan I was setting out to recreate schav, he said, “Amy, I love you for your talents, but this will never happen.” We shall see, Evan. We shall see.
Avocado Cucumber Chilled Soup (AKA Schav!)
Ingredients
- 2 ears corn grilled
- Juice from 1 lemon plus zest
- 2 avocados plus more for garnish
- 2 cucumbers peeled and deseeded and cut into chinks
- 2 cups sorrel leaves plus more for garnish
- 2 garlic cloves smashed
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Red chili pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Grill corn over a gas flame, grill, or under the broiler. Once browned, remove corn from cob with a knife. As an alternative, remove corn from husk and sauté in olive oil in a small pan over medium heat until browned.
- Zest lemon and set aside.
- Place corn, lemon juice, avocado flesh, cucumbers, sorrel leaves and garlic in a food processor and process until combined. Add water, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and process. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and chill for at least one hour.
- Once chilled, put into serving bowls (two main course, four appetizer) and garnish with avocado chunks, sorrel leaves, lemon zest and red chili pepper flakes.
This recipe originally appeared on The Jewish Week!
I dunno…looks pretty good to me. But I’ve never actually eaten any traditional schav, so what do I know? 😀 I would eat this in a second!
OK, and hang on – about this “fatal in large quantities” thing…define “large quantities.” Because honestly, that makes me kinda nervous!
Ha I think like tons!
Thanks! You can’t go wrong with avocado, right?
I think that the original schav is GREAT! I’ve eaten since I was a kid and I love it as well as cold borscht as well/ On the other hand…How could anything with avocado be bad???!!!
I’ve never even tried real schav, but I love sorrel so I’m tempted to make it!!
Avocado is my favorite!!! Love this!
Thanks, Ashley!!
I remember my grandmother making schav and it was a beloved summer dairy soup. It was always served with a spoonful of sour cream on top.
What a nice memory!
If I use persian cucumbers how many would you suggest? Also, I’ve never bought sorrel so don’t know how difficult it is to find–can anything be substituted to achieve the same flavor profile? Thanks!
Probably 4 Persian cucumbers would be about the same. Sorrel is a unique flavor for this recipe. But you could try spinach instead with a little lemon for added acidity.