Speckled Watercress Soup

Another delicious green spring soup! This one couldn't be easier to prepare and is pretty enough to serve at a spring party or Mother's Day Brunch (my plan!).

I love the fresh, peppery taste of watercress, which is added at the very end to maximize flavour and color.

Shallots, a potato, vegetable broth, and a little milk make the simple base. You could purée it all the way, but I love the speckled effect of this partially puréed version.

This recipe only makes two servings, so double or triple it depending on your immediate needs.

Speckled Watercress Soup:
1/2 tsp olive oil
3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 tsp butter
vegetable broth
sea salt and black pepper
1 bunch watercress, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
2 TBS milk


Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Sauté the shallots over low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid sticking. Add the diced potato and butter. Stir until butter is melted. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add vegetable broth to cover potatoes by 1/2 inch. Season. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer partially covered until potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes). Take off the heat, add the chopped watercress leaves and milk. Stir.

Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until potatoes are smooth and watercress is speckled. Adjust seasoning.