Watercress soup is a light, fresh and vibrant soup that can be enjoyed all year round. Full of goodness, it is so easy to make and ready in under 30 minutes. With a slight peppery flavour, this soup is a great way to get some extra greens in your diet.
Watercress soup is a popular in France (known as Soupe de Cresson) and Belgium (where my family are from) and it is a firm favourite in my family. Make with a base of shallots, celery and potato to give it some thickness and peppery watercress, this is a bright and comforting soup, that just feels super-nutritious.
If you are looking for some other ways to use watercress, then why not try our Watercress Salad, Easy Salad Jars or Mustard Potato Salad?
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Why You Will Love It
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- A great way to use watercress - If you have only every had watercress in a salad before, this is a great way to try it a different way.
- Nutritious - Although you might not think it, watercress is super nutritious and a great source of vitamin K.
- Freezes well - Make this when watercress is in season and then freeze it so it can be enjoyed throughout the year.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Oil - This is for frying the shallots and celery.
- Butter - This is added to the oil for frying, as it add a nice rich flavour.
- Shallots - You can use a small white onion, but we like the sweetness of the shallots.
- Celery - The natural saltiness of celery adds a lovely flavour to soups.
- Potato - This helps to thicken the soup and make it nice and creamy. If you wanted to thicken it without potatoes, you could use courgette (zucchini) instead. It wouldn't be as thick, but it would add to the green flavour.
- Watercress - If you haven't seen watercress before, it is usually with the pre-bagged salad. Its small, round leaves and edible stems have a peppery flavour. Watercress season in the UK is from April to October - look for watercress with bright green leaves.
- Stock - We used a vegetable stock, however you could use a chicken stock which would add a richer flavour.
- Milk and cream - This adds a lovely creaminess to the soup.
- Salt and pepper - Season to taste.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
How to Make Watercress Soup - Step by Step
- Step 1: Heat the oil and butter in a large pan. Add the shallots and celery and cook on low until softened - about 5 minutes.
- Step 2: Add the potato and stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Step 3: Add the watercress.
- Step 4: Cook for 3 minutes.
- Step 5: Blend until smooth. Add the milk and cream, stir and serve.
Health Benefits of Watercress
Watercress has a lovely peppery flavour when it is eaten raw, however once it is cooked in the soup, the peppery flavour lightens and it has more of a vegetable flavour. Although it isn't usually thought of as being the most nutritious green, watercress is packed with nutrition.
Watercress is part of the Brassicaceaefamily of vegetables, which also includes kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. Watercress was considered a weed, and it was first cultivated in the UK in the early 1800s.
Watercress is very low in calories, making this a low calorie and low fat soup. It also contains over 100% of the RDI for vitamin K, which is a fat-soluble vitamin necessary for blood clotting and healthy bones.
It is also a good source of vitamin E, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, thiamine, riboflavin, magnesium and copper
What to Serve with Watercress Soup
We topped ours with some extra watercress and a drizzle of single cream to make it feel a little more indulgent. However you could leave it just as it is.
We also love serving this watercress soup with some crunchy croutons on top. We make our own easy croutons by chopping up some bread into squares and drizzling over a little olive oil and a sprinkle of garlic granules and dried herbs. Put them in the oven for about 5 minutes to crisp up. Perfect for adding to soups and salads. Have you tried our Sourdough Croutons?
We also love soup with our Easy Bagels, Slices of Homemade White Bread, Cheesy Garlic Bread or Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia, which are all really easy and delicious homemade breads.
Storage
Store: This soup is always best eaten fresh, however if you do have leftovers then you can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let it cool down and then store in an air tight container in the fridge.
Freeze: This freezes really well and we always make a big batch to freeze to be able to enjoy in the colder months. The texture may be a bit different, but it will be fine once heated through. Allow it to completely cool first and then portion it out into air tight containers or freezer bags (these are great for space saving as you can lay them flat) and then it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Defrost: Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: Once fully defrosted, you can reheat it in the microwave or heat it through on the hob (stovetop).
Extra Tips
- Use a stick blender to blend this soup. If you are going to use a jug blender, make sure it cools down first, as putting hot soup in can cause it to break.
- If you are making this soup for young children, then use a low salt stock.
- You may need to add a little bit more stock to the soup after blending, depending on the consistency that you want. If you have cooked the soup on too high a heat, then it will need more stock otherwise it will a little thick. It is meant to be a thinner soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can either buy it loose at a market, or you can find it bagged with the other bagged lettuce in the supermarket.
This version isn't vegan as we have used butter, milk and cream, which gives a real depth of flavour and makes it feel a bit more indulgent. To keep it vegan, simply swap for oil instead of butter and use dairy free versions of milk and cream.
Yes, this can be gluten free if you use a gluten free stock and make sure that there is no cross contamination.
If your soup is too thick, then you may have cooked it at too high a temperature. Simply add a little more stock until it is the desired consistency. Equally, if it is too thin that you might not have had the heat high enough. Let it simmer a little longer to thicken up.
This isn't meant to be a thick soup. However, if you want to make it a little thicker then we have some tips. To thicken the soup, you will need to make a cornflour slurry. Simply mix together equal parts cornflour and water and then whisk that mixture into the soup. Usually 2 tablespoons of cornflour and 2 tablespoons of water mixed together does the job. You can use this tip for thin stews too.
Yes, you can make this in advance and then leave it to cool in the pan, cover and refrigerate the whole pan. Then, when you want to serve it you can put the whole pan (uncovered) on the hob and heat it through.
More Vegetarian Soup Recipes
If you’ve tried this watercress soup recipe, then let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Watercress Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 2 Shallots - diced
- 1 rib Celery - diced
- 150 g (5.25 oz) Potato - peeled and diced
- 300 ml (1.25 cups) Vegetable stock
- 160 g (5.66 oz) Watercress
- 60 ml (0.25 cups) Whole milk
- 20 ml (1.5 tablespoon) Cream
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil and 1 tablespoon Butter in a large pan. Add 2 Shallots and 1 rib Celery and cook on low until softened - about 5 minutes.
- Add 150 g Potato and 300 ml Vegetable stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add 160 g Watercress and cook for 3 minutes.
- Blend until smooth. Add 60 ml Whole milk and 20 ml Cream, stir and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Use a stick blender to blend this soup. If you are going to use a jug blender, make sure it cools down first, as putting hot soup in can cause it to break.
- If you are making this soup for young children, then use a low salt stock.
- You may need to add a little bit more stock to the soup after blending, depending on the consistency that you want. If you have cooked the soup on too high a heat, then it will need more stock otherwise it will a little thick. It is meant to be a thinner soup.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
jill obrien says
excellent soup! i added a sprinkling of fresh grated parmesan along with chopped watercress for the topping. added salt and pepper.
Dusty says
Sorry, I'm new to preparing at home meals what does the recipe mean by Cream, and is it separate from the milk. Knowing where to buy the Cream and what it looks like would be helpful, thanks.
Dannii Martin says
You can just use double or single cream. It's as well as the milk.
Janet says
Doesn’t it need a little seasoning?
Dannii says
We find the seasoning in the stock enough. But season to taste when serving.
Tayler says
I made this soup for lunch yesterday and oh my goodness was it delicious! Flavorful and so perfect for summer!
Dionne says
I could eat any soup any time of the year... but if it is as healthy and nice-looking as this watercress soup, I could eat it every day!
Mahy says
Watercress soup? Yes please! Watercress anything? Absolutely! Love how bright the color looks!
Jess says
I love the suggestion of adding croutons and a little bit of cream on top. Yummy!
Kali Alexandria says
Bold color and amazing flavor! One of my favorite soup recipes around.
Beth says
I'm really excited to try this. Until today, I've never seen watercress used in any capacity other than a garnish.
Casey says
Super fresh, tasty...and beautiful!! Love this soup!
Heather says
First time making soup with watercress… so easy and delicious!
Toni says
I love everything about this soup! Easy, healthy and so delicious!
Natalie says
Delicious soup Dannii! I am a big soup fan and this one is one of my favorite, thanks!
Natalie says
Just popping up again to say that this is a toddler-friendly soup. He loved it, thanks! Moms you have to try it.
Katherine says
One of our favorite soups! I love how tasty and nutritious it is.
Kushigalu says
How refreshing and vibrant is this soup recipe. I would love to try this soon. Pinned.