Watercress Soup

Making a simple and flavorful watercress soup is easy. This recipe stars bunches of fresh watercress, a splash of white wine, and some potatoes to fill it out.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated May 11, 2022
Elise Bauer
Watercress Soup recipe
Elise Bauer

One of my earliest memories is of my father taking the family out on excursions to Antelope Valley, about an hour and a half outside of Los Angeles, where we lived.

We used to go out there to pick pears, look at the jackrabbits, and just wander around the rugged terrain.

There was a creek that ran along where we would hike, and in this creek, grew watercress. It was rather miraculous to my six-year-old brain that we could find what we often ate for salad, growing over boulders, in and around tumbling and churning creek water.

"Well, that's why they call it 'water' cress," explained my dad.

We loved it then and still do now, though it seems to be more difficult to find in the market these days.

Have you ever had watercress? The real kind with thick stems and a spicy bite?

They sell some aquaculture baby watercress at Whole Foods, but I refuse to buy it. Because to me, it's not the real stuff. Watercress shouldn't be delicate; it should pack a punch.

It's great in a salad with a hot bacon dressing. It also makes a terrific soup. This watercress soup has a potato base and is topped with just a little sour cream.

Watercress Soup Recipe served in a bowl
Elise Bauer

Where to Find Watercress

If you have trouble finding watercress in your regular market, try Indian or East Asian grocery stores.

Check out local farmers markets when watercress is in season (usually April through September in the Northern Hemisphere).

You can also grow it yourself from seed, but be sure to trim before the plant begins to flower and turn bitter.

Or forage it—but only if you are confident you know how to identify the plant. Also, make sure the nearby water is very pristine. Don’t harvest it if you suspect there might be runoff or contamination.

Selecting the Best Watercress

Watercress is related to mustard greens. It grows wild in running water year-round. Look for crisp, dark green leaves without any blemishes. If you see any flowers, it means the watercress will be bitter.

Cress may look like watercress but is a different plant. It grows in soil and is a more delicate with thinner stems, more akin to baby watercress.

How to Prep Watercress

If you're preparing watercress for a salad, you'll want to trim off the stems. For this soup, however, include the stems. Be sure to wash the greens a couple of times in a basin or sink full of cold water. Keep washing until you don't see any more dirt. Remove and discard any limp or yellowing stems.

Make a Lighter Watercress Soup

  • You can replace half or all of the potatoes with zucchini. The consistency will be thinner, but the color will be a brighter green.
  • Substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream.
  • Use a vegetable broth for a nonfat option.

How to Store and Reheat Watercress Soup

Watercress soup can be stored in the refrigerator for three to five days. Just be sure to leave out the sour cream until serving.

It can also be frozen (sans sour cream) for up to three months in an airtight container. Defrost overnight in the fridge. Then, gently reheat in a saucepan until heated through.

Breads and Rolls to Pair With Watercress Soup

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Watercress Soup

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 55 mins
Servings 6 to 8 servings

Watercress can often be found in the herb section of the grocery store. The bunches should be thick-stemmed, and the leaves should have a strong, peppery bite to them. The delicate, thin-stemmed baby watercress that some markets carry is not appropriate for this soup.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter

  • 2 cups white or yellow onion, chopped

  • Salt

  • 1 cup white wine, chicken stock, or vegetable stock (wine or veg stock for vegetarian version)

  • 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

  • 6 cups water

  • 6 cups fresh watercress, about 1/2 pound, chopped, stems included

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • About 6 tablespoons sour cream, stirred in, or for garnish

Method

  1. Cook the onions in the melted butter:

    In a large pot, heat the butter until froth. Then, add the onions, cooking over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Salt the onions as they cook.

    cook onions for base of watercress soup
    Elise Bauer
  2. Add the wine and potatoes and simmer:

    Add the wine (or stock), potatoes, and water and then bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low. Cover the pot and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.

    potatoes cooking in stock in pot for watercress soup
    Elise Bauer
  3. Add the watercress:

    Add the watercress to the pot. Stir well and cook for 2 more minutes.

    add chopped watercress to soup in pot
    Elise Bauer
  4. Puree the soup:

    Turn off the heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, pour the soup in batches into a regular blender and transfer the blended soup to a clean pot.

    Be very careful when blending hot liquids to only fill the bowl a third of the way, and to hold down the blender's lid while you puree.

    puree watercress soup
    Elise Bauer
  5. Season and garnish before serving:

    Add salt to taste and then add the black pepper.

    You can either stir the sour cream into the whole batch of soup, or serve a tablespoon of it in the center of each person's bowl.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
163 Calories
6g Fat
19g Carbs
3g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 163
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 17mg 6%
Sodium 138mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 21mg 103%
Calcium 75mg 6%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 527mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.