Lithuanian traditional foods
Rūgštynių sriuba
Rūgštynių sriuba is a spring and summer green soup made with sorrel, potatoes, carrots, and onion, often served with boiled egg and sour cream.
Food and heritage context
- Category
- Soups
- Type
- sour green soup
- Heritage status
- living home tradition
- Context
- Sorrel, potatoes, egg, sour cream, spring greens, sour flavor
Names and variants
Green barščiai, Rūgštynienė
Spring acidity
Rūgštynių sriuba belongs to seasonal green cooking. It brings acidity at the time when lighter, greener flavors are welcome after winter.
The name green borscht shows a broader Lithuanian way of thinking about soup: borscht does not have to be only red beet soup, and a sour green base can play a similar role.
Fresh sorrel is milder; preserved sorrel is more intense. Jarred sorrel makes it possible to cook this soup when fresh leaves are gone. According to the Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia, until the middle of the twentieth century soup in Lithuania was not only a lunch dish but also a breakfast or supper food, and in summer lighter sour green and vegetable soups were cooked.
Why the soup is cooked briefly
Sorrel is added at the end not only for color. Long boiling makes the acidity sharper and the leaves lose their fresh green impression.
Potatoes, carrots, and egg create the base that turns sorrel into a filling home meal rather than just a herbal broth.
Egg and sour cream
Boiled egg adds substance and softness, while sour cream rounds out the acidity.
For a fasting or lighter version, the egg and sour cream can be omitted.
Recipe
How to make rūgštynių sriuba
Sorrel is best added near the end, when the potatoes are already soft. This preserves its fresh acidity and green character.
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the potatoes, carrot, and onion in broth until soft.
- Wash and chop the sorrel, then add it to the pot near the end.
- Simmer for a few minutes and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with boiled egg, sour cream, and dill.
Notes
Preserved sorrel is already sour and salty, so add salt carefully.
Related pages about Rūgštynių sriuba
Rūgštynių sriuba: frequently asked questions
When should sorrel be added?
Near the end, when the potatoes are already soft. Sorrel loses freshness if boiled for a long time.
Can preserved sorrel be used?
Yes, but it is often saltier and more acidic than fresh sorrel.
Why add egg?
Egg adds substance and softens the acidity.
Can sorrel soup be made without meat?
Yes. Vegetable broth or water works well.
How can the sourness of sorrel soup be reduced?
Add more potatoes, sour cream, or use less sorrel.
Can sorrel soup be frozen?
Yes, but potatoes and sour cream may change texture after freezing.