Recipe: Watercress Soup
I was a co-host to the writer's group meeting last week. So far, every group has involved food. Because we're writers. And we eat. I don't know, it seems to be a thing.
Anyway, since I used the group as guinea pigs to test out a Mise recipe last time, I figured I'd go with the trend. Actually, the funny thing is I didn't even intend for this recipe to be a Mise recipe, but I think it's going to be, because I like it better than the carrot soup I made a few days later.
(That's me trying to be fancy with the glass bowl because I wanted to make sure that everyone could see the pretty color of the soup and the little bits of watercress suspended within. Not sure it works too well, honestly.)
Watercress Soup
based on this recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery
1 small potato, peeled and chopped
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 tsp sugar
2 bunches watercress, tough stems removed
Instructions:
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.
2. Add two cups water, the potato, broth, sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Simmer, partially covered, for about 10 minutes, or until the potato is tender.
3. Add the watercress and simmer until just tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Use the immersion blender you got for Christmas last year which is totally the most awesome tool in the history of the universe, and which you possibly love more than your KitchenAid, though it's a close thing. Puree the soup. If you do not have an immersion blender, I am very sorry for you, and you can't have mine. Transfer the soup to a blender in batches to puree it. If it makes you feel better, you can pretend they're Cumberbatches. (Get it? I'll be here all the week.)
5. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Dollop the cream onto the individual bowls of soup. Serve. Eat.
Notes:
OMG yum. Everyone liked this; some people had second helpings. Be aware that the cream melts into the soup fairly quickly. The original recipe called for a whiskey cream, but had you cook the cream with the whiskey and then chill it before whipping, and I think that was probably wrong, because the cream didn't whip, it just curdled. Blech. Luckily, I had extra whipping cream, so I just whipped up a regular batch and used that instead; it was fine.
For the Purposes of the Story:
Okay, soup? Has got to be the EASIEST thing to make in a restaurant kitchen. OMG. This was ridiculous amounts of easy. In fact, I made it a full hour before we served it, and it stayed nice and warm on the stovetop while we all discussed whatever stories we were discussing. And such a pretty color! Can you get watercress in February in England? Because if you can, I'm totally putting this one on the menu!
Anyway, since I used the group as guinea pigs to test out a Mise recipe last time, I figured I'd go with the trend. Actually, the funny thing is I didn't even intend for this recipe to be a Mise recipe, but I think it's going to be, because I like it better than the carrot soup I made a few days later.
(That's me trying to be fancy with the glass bowl because I wanted to make sure that everyone could see the pretty color of the soup and the little bits of watercress suspended within. Not sure it works too well, honestly.)
Watercress Soup
based on this recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery
1 small potato, peeled and chopped
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 tsp sugar
2 bunches watercress, tough stems removed
Instructions:
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.
2. Add two cups water, the potato, broth, sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Simmer, partially covered, for about 10 minutes, or until the potato is tender.
3. Add the watercress and simmer until just tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Use the immersion blender you got for Christmas last year which is totally the most awesome tool in the history of the universe, and which you possibly love more than your KitchenAid, though it's a close thing. Puree the soup. If you do not have an immersion blender, I am very sorry for you, and you can't have mine. Transfer the soup to a blender in batches to puree it. If it makes you feel better, you can pretend they're Cumberbatches. (Get it? I'll be here all the week.)
5. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Dollop the cream onto the individual bowls of soup. Serve. Eat.
Notes:
OMG yum. Everyone liked this; some people had second helpings. Be aware that the cream melts into the soup fairly quickly. The original recipe called for a whiskey cream, but had you cook the cream with the whiskey and then chill it before whipping, and I think that was probably wrong, because the cream didn't whip, it just curdled. Blech. Luckily, I had extra whipping cream, so I just whipped up a regular batch and used that instead; it was fine.
For the Purposes of the Story:
Okay, soup? Has got to be the EASIEST thing to make in a restaurant kitchen. OMG. This was ridiculous amounts of easy. In fact, I made it a full hour before we served it, and it stayed nice and warm on the stovetop while we all discussed whatever stories we were discussing. And such a pretty color! Can you get watercress in February in England? Because if you can, I'm totally putting this one on the menu!