Last updated on August 24th, 2021
When it comes to springtime (or anytime) entertaining, you can’t go wrong with Watercress Soup. I love it it as a first course for formal affairs, but it is marvelous too as a main course for supper. Potatoes thicken the soup, while a handful of fresh or frozen peas temper the slight pepperiness of the cress. Here’s the recipe for this emerald-green brew that recalls the luxurious dinner parties of Victorian England:
Watercress Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, roughly diced
- Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 Lbs. Russet potatoes, peeled and roughly diced
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup peas
- 200 grams watercress leaves and stems, washed and roughly chopped
- Optional for garnish: creme fraiche and snips of fresh chive
Instructions
- Warm the butter and olive oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-low heat. When the butter melts, stir in the diced onion and the seasonings. Reduce heat to "low," then cover the pot and let the onion sweat until tender -- about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then partially cover the pot, reduce the heat, and let simmer until the potatoes are perfectly tender -- about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Add the peas and the watercress. Stir until the leaves wilt -- about 30 seconds. Let the soup cool, uncovered, for at least 20 minutes. Then ladle it into the jar of a blender. Blend at high speed until smoothly pureed -- about 30 seconds. Wash out and dry the soup pot, then pour the pureed soup into the pot.
- Serve hot, warm, at room temperature, or even cold from the fridge. Garnish each serving, if you wish, with a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprinkling of snipped chive.
Nutrition
Watercress Soup: The Video
Click the play arrow above to watch me make Watercress Soup on my YouTube channel. After we make the soup, we can sip it under the new pergola in the garden!
Warm the butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over low heat.
When the butter melts, add the roughly diced onion…
Plus salt and pepper to taste.
Cover the pot, and let the onions sweat until soft — 5-6 minutes.
Now add the peeled, roughly chopped potatoes…
Plus 6 cups water.
Bring the works to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat, partially cover the pot, and cook until the potatoes are perfectly tender — 10-15 minutes.
The potatoes are tender when you easily stab them with a paring knife.
Turn off the heat, stir in the fresh or frozen peas…
And the thoroughly cleaned and coarsely chopped watercress leaves and stems.
Stir until the leaves wilt — about 30 seconds. Permit the soup to cool for at least 20 minutes.
Ladle the cooled soup into a blender, then blitz from low to high speed until perfectly pureed.
Oh, baby. This is one gorgeous soup!
Serving suggestions:
Divide the soup among bowls, add a dollop of crème fraiche or yogurt, and, a sprinkling snipped, fresh chive. Serve hot, warm, or cold with a crusty baguette and some chilled white wine!
Hungry for more? Get my email updates.
MaryB says
Lovely! I don’t have ready access to watercress but think this might be fine with baby spinach (or other baby greens)?
Reminds me of my friend’s cold potato soup, full of leeks. 🙂 Mmmmmmm.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi MaryB – I can’t say for certain, but I think this recipe could work out just fine with baby spinach instead of watercress. Enjoy!!!
Sandra says
Definitely on my next soup to do list. I love soup. xoxo
Just Me says
I have fresh spinach growing in my garden – started in mini greenhouses after reading your blog about them! I’ll try this soup using my spinach.
The mini greenhouses were a huge success here! So easy! No hardening off. Can’t wait to plant my tomatoes out in the garden.
vgrb says
I love watercress soup so Thank You for sharing this with us. The next time I see fresh watercress I won’t have to think twice about buying a couple of bundles!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Sandra – Hope you enjoy this historic soup!
Hi Just Me – I think this soup would be fab with spinach. Enjoy!!!
Hi VGRB – If you make this soup, please let me know how it turns out for you!
Lynn says
looks really good, thanks for the demo.
Ardelle says
An 80 mile trip to my parents original farm will be lush with watercress until it gets too warm. The watercress has been exceptional this year since it has been steadily in the low 40’s and lower so that has kept it very nice. Still, I’m not sure I want to make soup with it since I love watercress fresh in many ways. I have made a broccoli soup with potatoes and leeks similarly for many years which is great also.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Lynn – My pleasure!
Hi Ardelle – I love raw watercress as well. Will probably make egg and cress finger sandwiches today!
Barbara David says
love your recipes, Kevin, especially the ease with which I can print them…….
How much is 200 grams of watercress though?
I found 4 ounces of it wrapped, in a container at Whole Foods. Or, I have seen it in bunches. So…..I bet you are very good at conversions (I am NOT!). How many ounces, or bunches in 200 grams of cress, please?
I cannot wait to try this: cress or spinach…..Yummmm
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Barbara – 7-8 ounces of cress is enough for this recipe. (According to my digital kitchen scale, one bunch of watercress is 8.4 ounces.) Enjoy!!!
Barbara David says
Kevin, you are the BEST: so responsive. I shall look for one bunch of cress, or the same approx oz of spinach. Thank-you so much!!!!