We made this lovely soup. The recipe is fairly easy, if you can mind chopping the watercress, and even the kidlets helped out. My daughter added a bit more pepper, at her brother's request, which made this soup more peppery in flavour than expected. Regardless, it was quite flavourful.
Potato and Watercress Soup
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2 tablespoons vegetable oil2 potatoes peeled and cubed
1 onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 and 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 and 1/2 cups milk
1 and 1/2 pounds watercress, semi chopped with stems remove
watercress leaves for garnish
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the potato and onion and stir to coat in the oil. Add the salt and pepper. Reduce to medium heat. Cover and heat for 5 minutes. Occasionally stirring to prevent the potatoes and onions from sticking and the pan browning too much. Do not panic a little browning is fine... call it seasoned flavour.
Pour chicken stock and the milk, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the watercress and simmer, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until watercress is just cooked.
In small batches, transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, season to taste. Ladle into individual bowls or place in refrigerator if not serving immediately. I used a handheld blender therefore no transferring required. I removed the pot from the burner and when finished blending returned the pot back to the burner.
You can serve each serving with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired and garnish with a bit of watercress leaves.
Today is Food Revolution Day. I signed the petition, have you? Feeling much better today just in time for the long weekend. Enjoy the long weekend everyone! - JD
