This simple and delicious recipe for watercress soup was created by our resident foraging and wild plant expert, Chris Phyto. This recipe, and many more, is also available on his website, The Wild Plant Guide.
Chris forages for wild watercress, but it’s not cheating to buy yours from your local greengrocer!
Watercress soup
My quick and easy to make watercress soup will warm the cockles. This health boosting soup can be made at pretty much anytime of the year, as watercress is one of those plants that you can find in the depths of winter.
It is especially good in wintertime, when you can pick the plants on a leisurely riverside walk, then quickly make when you get home.
Watercress is high in certain vitamins and minerals, as well as being packed with anti-cancer substances. It is a pretty common plant, but only found by running water. It can be identified though its leaf shape and the pungent peppery aromatics.
Detailed information on how to identify watercress as well as a discussion about the dangers of liver fluke can be found in my recent article.
Ingredients:
A medium sized onion
Three medium sized potatoes
A big bunch of watercress
A good handful of three cornered leek
Cider vinegar
Some coriander seeds, cumin, nutmeg, chilli powder, salt, pepper
Double cream
Suggested method:
Find, pick, and wash the watercress and three corner leek.
Finely chop the onion and three cornered leek, then scrub and chop the potato.
Par-boil the potato, then drain, and set aside for a while.
Saute the onion and three corner leek for a few minutes with the spices
Add the spiced onion/leek mixture, potato and half of the water to a saucepan.
Roughly chop the watercress, using stalks and all.
Bring to the boil, then down to a simmer.
Add the watercress, then simmer for two minutes.
Blitz with a food processor or similar, until smooth.
Return to the saucepan, season some more if required, and add a small splash of cider vinegar.
Stir in a little glug of double cream and garnish with the leafy tips.
Served best with crusty sour dough bread!