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Potage cressonnière
Watercress and potato soup
Potage cressonnière: Île-de-France watercress and potato soup with a peppery green colour
Potage cressonnière comes from the Île-de-France, where watercress has been grown in the clear spring-fed beds of the Essonne valley for centuries and sold in Paris markets. It is a light, peppery soup of watercress and potato, eaten at supper through autumn and spring, often with a little cream stirred in. The common mistake is boiling the watercress leaves, which drains their colour and bite; add them only at the end. Chef's tip: cook the stalks with the potatoes for flavour and keep the tender leaves for the last 2 minutes.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- ⅔ oz butter
- 1 onionchopped
- 1 ⅛ lb baking potatoespeeled and diced
- 7 oz watercressleaves and stalks separated
- 4 ¼ cups vegetable stock
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 tbsp single cream (optional)
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What you'll need
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Method
0/4 doneStep 2: Add the 1 ⅛ lb baking potatoes, the chopped 7 oz watercress stalks, the 4 ¼ cups vegetable stock and ¾ tsp salt and simmer for 15–18 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
18 minStep 3: Add the 7 oz watercress leaves and simmer for 2 minutes, just until wilted and bright green.
2 minStep 4: Blend until smooth, season with ½ tsp black pepper and serve with a swirl of 4 tbsp single cream.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does potage cressonnière take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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