Aveluk (Wild Sorrel) – a Uniquely Armenian Herb

Aveluk (Rumex crispus) -or- wild sorrel is indigenous to certain regions of Armenia. It’s popular in authentic Armenian cuisine – especially in restaurants which serve aveluk soup or salad as ‘exotic’ fare to outsiders – like me!

Fresh Aveluk (Internet photo)

Armenia’s aveluk is unique in that it isn’t as sour as
sorrel which grows wild throughout Asia, Europe and North America. Sorrel’s
flavor has a natural acidic sourness due to oxalic acid. As sorrel matures, the
flavor becomes even more sour. If you can’t find aveluk or sorrel, a suitable
substitute would be spinach combined with a touch of lemon juice.

In the US, we’re not likely to find aveluk, but might find
sorrel at a farmer’s market. Some specialty shops might sell cooked sorrel in
jars or cans. If you’re really lucky, you might find dried, braided aveluk in a
well-stocked Middle Eastern store.

Sonia Tashjian’s Aveluk Soup

Aveluk Soup I ordered at Our Village, Yerevan

Aveluk
Soup, courtesy of Sonia Tashjian

Ingredients:
6 ounces (about 4 cups) dried aveluk (See preparation of
aveluk below)

2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup coarse bulgur

1 onion, chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped

 dried plums, pitted and chopped (amount depends on how sour the aveluk is)
 Aleppo red pepper & black pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp. flour, or some cut pieces of lavash, optional
a little bunch of fresh coriander, chopped

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced

Prepare the aveluk:
Place the dried aveluk in a large bowl of hot water. Let it sit for several minutes. Drain the water. Do this procedure two more times.
Prepare Aveluk Soup:

1. Add 6 cups of water to a large pot; bring to a boil
and add 2 tsp salt. To the pot of boiling water, add the bulgur, onion &
potato. Reduce heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally. (NOTE: Lentils
may be substituted for the bulgur.)
2. Next, add the pre-soaked & drained aveluk, the dried plum pieces, and the red and black pepper.

3. Cook until the potatoes and bulgur are soft. (NOTE: The starch from the potato helps make the soup creamy. If you wish, you may add 2 Tbsp. flour or lavash pieces to the soup at this point, if desired.) Add the additional 2 cups of water if soup is becoming too thick. Just before the soup is done cooking, add
the garlic and the coriander. Remove from heat. Serve with sour cream, if desired.
Aveluk Soup Variations:

Sonia notes that in different regions of Armenia there are many variations of aveluk soup. For example, some places add tomato paste; some do not add potato. Some use lentils instead of bulgur. Some add chopped walnuts to the soup, while others only use walnuts in Aveluk Salad. Another variation: some fry the onion separately and mix it into the soup, but the busy cook would add all of the ingredients to the soup and cook it slowly.