Watercress Bisque

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 bunches watercress (about 300g weight)
• 50 g butter
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 liters vegetable stock or 1 1/4 liters chicken stock
• 300 g cream
• 3/4 cup ground almonds
• 1 -2 teaspoon lemon juice (to taste)
• 1/2-1 teaspoon salt, extra (to taste)
• 1 pinch pepper (or to taste)

Recipe

• 1 chop off and discard the lower third of the bunches of watercress.
• 2 pick through the watercress, discarding any obviously woody stems.
• 3 chop watercress roughly, and, if desired, reserve some sprigs for garnish.
• 4 melt butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
• 5 add potatoes, onions and watercress and stir well until vegetables are well coated in the butter.
• 6 sprinkle vegetables lightly with salt.
• 7 reduce heat to very low and cover vegetables with a piece of baking paper, foil or similar, tucking it in at the edges.
• 8 sweat the vegetables over a very low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring and then re-covering, about half way through.
• 9 add stock, increase heat and bring to a gentle boil.
• 10 decrease heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
• 11 puree in batches in a blender or food processor.
• 12 (the stems may prove a problem for a stick mixer).
• 13 return soup to pan and add cream and ground almonds and lemon juice, pepper and salt to taste.
• 14 reheat to serve.
• 15 serve garnished with sprigs of watercress or float a young nasturtium leaf and flower on the top of each bowl.