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Watercress and Spinach Soup

Watercress and Spinach Soup is a traditional British recipe for a classic soup of watercress and spinach in a leek, potato and cream base that makes an excellent starter for Easter or a soup at any time. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Watercress and Spinach Soup.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

20 minutes

Total Time:

40 minutes

Serves:

6

Rating:

Tags : Vegetarian RecipesMilk RecipesBritish Recipes

I saw this advertised as an Easter soup, but no one really knew why. The reason goes back to Medieval times where bitter herbs (and dishes made from them) were eaten during spring time both as a purge and as a reminder of Christ's suffering. This modern version is not as bitter as its Medieval antecedents, but it's true to it's ancestry nonetheless.

If you would like to a add a little extra bitterness to the soup to make it more 'authentic', then why not add a handful of young dandelion leaves?

Ingredients:

1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 medium-sized leek, trimmed and finely chopped
400g potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1.5l vegetable stock
85g watercress, washed and roughly chopped
300g spinach leaves (older leaves are slightly more bitter), washed
150ml single cream

To Garnish:
6 tbsp single cream
handful of bread croutons
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan, then add the leek, potato and cumin seeds. Cook over medium heat until the leeks have softened but not browned (about 5 minutes).

Now pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes then adjust the seasoning to taste.

Add the watercress and spinach then cover the pan and cook for 1 minutes, or until the leaves have just wilted, but retain their colour. Take off the heat, add the cream and blend with a stick blender until smooth.

Pour back into the pan and allow to re-heat gently (but do not boil or the cream may split).

Ladle into warmed soup bowls, add a swirl of cream and a few croutons of bread then serve.

Find more Easter Recipes Here.