WATERCRESS SOUP WITH BLUE CHEESE & CASHEW PASTRIES

Watercress soup with blue cheese & cashew pastries image

Make-ahead lunch or a light starter - relaxed cooking for a laid-back weekend at home

Provided by Sara Buenfeld

Time 40m

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry , thawed, (half a 425g pack)
milk , to glaze
50g Danish blue cheese , crumbled
50g cashew , finely chopped
1 large onion , finely chopped
25g butter
1 large potato , peeled and cubed
450ml milk
600ml chicken stock
2 x bags watercress

Steps:

Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 and grease 2 large baking sheets. Unravel the pastry, brush with milk and scatter half of it with the cheese and cashews. Fold the pastry over to sandwich the nut mixture and press down firmly. Cut into 16-18 thin strips along the longest length. Pick up each strip, twist a little, then lay slightly apart on baking sheets. Bake for 10 mins until golden. Lift onto a cooling rack as soon as they come out of the oven to stop them from sticking to the trays. They'll last for a week in a tin. Return them the oven for a couple of mins to heat through.
To make the soup, fry the onion in the butter in a large pan for 5 mins until starting to soften. Add the potato, then pour in the milk and stock. Bring to the boil then cover and lower the heat. Season and leave to simmer for 10 mins or until the potatoes are cooked.
Pack the watercress into a blender or large food processor and pour over the hot potato mixture. Blend until smooth then return to the pan to reheat. Serve each portion in small bowls or cups with 2 of the pastries. The remainder can be eaten with drinks on another occasion.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 321 calories, Fat 20 grams fat, SaturatedFat 8 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 27 grams carbohydrates, Fiber 2 grams fiber, Protein 10 grams protein, Sodium 1.06 milligram of sodium