With the recent nip in the air, a friend has been talking longingly about her grandmother’s watercress soup which got me motivated to dig up this trusty recipe. The peppery watercress becomes mellower when cooked but this doesn’t mean that it is without character.
As a final flourish, I like to serve this with a dollop of crème fraîche.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter, ghee or coconut oil (I use this product)
- 1 shallot, finely sliced
- 2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-cm pieces
- 1 bunch watercress, washed, the ends discarded and roughly chopped
- Sea salt and pepper
- Thyme
- 4 cups liquid (more depending on the quantity of the vegetables), this can be chicken or vegetable stock, filtered water or a combination
- Thyme
- Optional: crème fraîche for serving
Equipment
A medium heavy-bottomed pot like enameled or regular cast iron
Method
Melt the fat in the pot over medium heat. When it starts heating through, add the shallots and sauté for a few minutes. Add the thyme, salt and pepper, and then the potatoes, stirring regularly to make sure that the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Add the watercress, put on the lid for a few minutes until the leaves start wilting and giving off some of their liquid. At this point add the liquid (making sure it covers the vegetables well, adding more if necessary), give it a good stir and put on the lid again. When it starts boiling, turn down the heat and simmer for about 40-45 minutes.
When the potatoes and the watercress become soft, turn off the heat and let cool a bit. Mix thoroughly using a plunge mixer or a food processor, making sure the soup is creamy as the watercress is quite fibrous. Adjust the seasoning.
Serve with a spoonful of crème fraîche if desired.
