Unless you like to experiment with your own cream soups or tend to steer towards French cuisine, you have probably never used sorrel in your cooking.
When brought dried, sorrel seems to be like any other green herb used in the everyday kitchen. Though it can be much harder to find in stores because of the herb’s unique qualities.
You could simply grow your sorrel if you are having difficulty finding it in a store. But when you need a quick replacement for sorrel, plenty of options are available.
Our 3 Substitutes for Sorrel
Because of its significantly high oxalic acidic levels, sorrel is possibly the sourest and tartest of herbs available in the supermarket. This is why it is mainly used as a finishing herb.
Sorrel leaves (which are the parts primarily used in cooking) possess the more oxalic acid of the plant so are the sourest part. However, they also have a slight citrusy freshness.
Here are our top 3 substitutes for sorrel:
1) Rocket
It is not as strongly flavoured as sorrel, but rocket (also known as arugula) is easily one of the most powerful herbs you can get. And it is much more common than sorrel common, too.
Rocket is more on the spicey, peppery side of the flavour palate than sour like sorrel. But it can work similarly in balancing out your dish’s flavours.
So long as you don’t mind the extra kick, rocket will not overwhelm your dish like sorrel often can.
Rarely will rocket be sold dried or as a ground herb like sorrel. You will have to chop the rocket leaves up finely enough to use in the same way in your dish.
Tweak the Taste of Rocket
Rocket is already a close substitute for sorrel but lacks the same sourness. You can add the missing taste yourself by mixing the rocket with some lemon juice before adding it to your dish.
2) Sumac
Most would not consider replacing a herb with a spice, especially not one of the less popular spice varieties. However, sumac has many of the same qualities as sorrel.
The main flavour point of sumac is its tartness, which is not too dissimilar from that of sorrel. This comes from the spice’s acidity levels, also giving it a slight sourness.
As sumac is made from berries, it has a distinctly citrusy flavour that perfectly complements its tart taste. This citrus flavour veers more towards the taste of lemon, much like sorrel.
Where sorrel is a bright green herb, sumac is a rich red spice. So keep in mind that your dish will look slightly different when using sumac as a sorrel replacement.
Where to Use Sumac
Sumac is a Middle Eastern spice that pairs best with poultry or fish. Though it can also be used in salad dressings and to help tenderize meat in a marinade.
3) Rhubarb
Sorrel is most commonly used in very savoury dishes, whereas rhubarb (while a vegetable) is popular in sweet and fruity dishes. It is usually cooked the same way as fruit rather than a vegetable.
Rhubarb is a far more versatile ingredient than sorrel that can be used in the same instances.
This is because rhubarb possess the same oxalic acid as sorrel, making them very close in flavour.
Only the stalk of a rhubarb may be eaten. Rhubarb leaves also contain oxalic acid but have such high levels of it that they become toxic when eaten.
Prepare Rhubarb Like Sorrel
Obviously, rhubarb is vastly different in appearance from sorrel. You will have to blend the rhubarb until it forms a paste and then use it as a sorrel paste substitute.
Other Substitutes for Sorrel
Most of the above substitutes tend to have very powerful flavours, which is why they are the top substitutes for sorrel in the first place.
However, if you are not a fan of the above ingredients or how they taste in a dish, here are a few more sorrel substitutes you could use instead:
- Mustard Greens – Like rocket, mustard greens are more peppery than sour. However, mustard greens serve better in savoury dishes than rocket.
- Spinach + Lemon Juice – Spinach is just as rich in flavour as sorrel but is more bitter than sour. The lack of acidity in spinach can be replaced with some added lemon juice to turn that bitterness into sourness.
Summary
Undoubtedly, sorrel is one of the most unique herbs available. But that makes it difficult to replace in a dish when you cannot find it in your local supermarket.
The closest ingredient that can replace sorrel is rocket. However, you will need to add a drop of lemon juice to make it taste as similar to sorrel as possible.