Best Chilled Watercress Soup Recipes

CHILLED WATERCRESS, SPRING NETTLE, AND SORREL SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, warm the olive oil and butter over medium heat until the butter is foamy. Add the onion, leeks, garlic, and salt, and stir to coat. Let cook 10 minutes, then add 4 cups stock or water. Bring to a simmer. Add the watercress and nettles and simmer just until tender. Using a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl, strain the soup, separating the liquid from the solids, but reserve both. Transfer both to the refrigerator and cool 2 hours. Remove the separated cooled soup ingredients from the refrigerator and recombine. Puree the soup in batches in the food processor or in a blender, and add the sorrel leaves a little at a time. The soup will have some texture. When finished processing, taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Transfer the soup to chilled bowls and garnish with a spoonful of crème fraîche, a drizzle of olive oil, and a few thin slices of leek tops or green garlic tops.

CHILLED CELERY, WATERCRESS AND FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add celery, onion, fennel, garlic and ginger. Cover pot. Cook until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add broth and wine. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in watercress. Let stand 5 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• Ladle soup into bowls. Top with dollop of yogurt, if desired.

CHILLED WATERCRESS-SPINACH SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and potato; sauté until leeks are slightly softened but not brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add watercress and spinach; stir until wilted, about 1 minute. Cool slightly.
• Working with 1 cup at a time, puree soup in blender until smooth. Transfer soup to large bowl. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. Thin with more broth, if desired.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish center of each with hard-boiled eggs and small watercress sprigs.

CHILLED PEA & WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Place all of the ingredients, except the yogurt and ice, in a liquidiser or blender. Don't overfill your machine - you may need to do this in two batches. Whizz everything for a couple of minutes until smooth and speckled with the watercress.
• Season if you want to, then serve straight away or chill until needed. The soup will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a 2 days (give it a good stir before serving) or can be frozen for up to 1 month. Serve the soup drizzled with yogurt and an ice cube or two to make it even more refreshing.

CHILLED WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Blanch watercress in pot of boiling salted water 30 seconds. Drain; set aside.
• Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes and leeks; sauté 4 minutes. Add 6 cups broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover partially and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add watercress; simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.
• Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Mix in cream. Season with salt and pepper. Chill at least 4 hours and up to 1 day. Thin with more broth, if desired. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with chives.

CHILLED WATERCRESS SOUP WITH ONION CREAM

Steps:

• For soup:
• Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until soft, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add leek and sauté 5 minutes. Add vegetable broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Allow broth to cool uncovered 15 minutes.
• Place 3 cups watercress in blender. Pour half of warm broth mixture over watercress and blend until smooth.
• Add half and half and blend until combined. Transfer soup to bowl. Puree remaining broth mixture in blender until smooth; stir into soup in bowl. If more watercress flavor is desired, puree 1/2 cup watercress with 2 cups soup in same blender. Repeat with more watercress, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• For green onion cream:
• Whisk crème fraîche, white and pale green parts of green onions, and all remaining ingredients in small bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Divide soup among 6 shallow bowls. Drizzle with green onion cream; sprinkle with sliced dark green onion tops.

CHILLED CREAM OF WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in large pan over low heat. Add potatoes and leeks and sweat off gently for 5 minutes.
• Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and gently cook for around 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the watercress (put 4 sprigs to one side for the garnish). add 3/4 of the cream and blend in a blender/processor until completely smooth.
• Season to taste then chill well before serving. Serve with a swirl of cream and a sprig if watercress.