Contest Rules

Photo due: April 15, 2011

Gary loves this soup, as it reminds him of being a boy in Painswick, England, and crunching fresh, watercress sandwiches. Watercress can often be found in the herb or salad section of your produce department, and has a refreshing lemon-pepper flavour that bursts on the tongue and fills the mouth with happiness. Watercress is allegedly helpful in normalizing blood pressure and cholesterol levels, increasing sexual energy, enhanced fertility and breast milk.

If you have a stream or even small garden pond on your property, you might want to consider growing this low, sprawling herb. It can even be grown in pots and settled into the moist, shaded area around a water feature.

I’ve served this soup cold for lunches with colleagues, or at summer dinner parties, and also hot on a winter’s night to the family. Even made this in quantity once for a Saxon feast my dear friend, Vandy Simpson, and I prepared for about 60 people.

Watercress Soup

2 large potatoes
2 cloves garlic
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
8 green onions
1 large bunch watercress (about 4 cups)
½ cup 1% milk (or use whatever fat content you wish)
Salt and pepper to taste

Scrub potatoes, quarter and place in a pot with the garlic, cover with the chicken stock and cook until tender. Allow to cool.

Place the potatoes, stock and onion in a food processor or blender, and puree until smooth. Add watercress and blitz until gloriously green and then the milk. Season to taste.

Can be served either chilled or warm, but note not to overheat the soup as the watercress will lose its lovely green hue and go a muddy colour. That doesn’t affect the flavour, just the presentation.

Variation

1 large onion
2 tablespoons each flour and margarine
1 quart of stock, chicken or vegetable
Salt and pepper
3 bunches of watercress
½ cup whipping cream (or milk)

Peel and finely chop onion. Melt margarine in a saucepan. Sauté onion until clear. Add flour and stir briskly to prevent scorching. Stir in half the stock, cover and reduce heat.

Wash and trim watercress. Chop finely. Pour remaining stock into a blender or food processor and puree. Add the puree to the saucepan. Season to taste. Just before serving stir in the cream. Serve hot or cold.

Serves 8