Go Back Email Link
Mary Berry Watercress Soup Recipe

Mary Berry Watercress Soup Recipe

Mary Berry's watercress soup is a vivid, peppery, bright green soup that is ready in 30 minutes and looks completely stunning.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 Portions
Course: Soup
Cuisine: British
Calories: 175
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 40 g unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 medium potato about 200g, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 900 ml vegetable or chicken stock
  • 200 g watercress — tough stalks removed
  • 100 ml double cream
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • Salt and white pepper
  • To Serve:
  • Cream or crème fraîche
  • Fresh watercress sprig
  • White pepper or smoked paprika
  • Crusty bread

Method
 

  1. Melt butter with oil over medium heat. Cook onion 8–10 minutes until soft — no colour. Add garlic — 1 minute.
  2. Add potato. Add stock. Bring to boil — simmer 15 minutes until potato is completely tender.
  3. Add all the watercress. Stir — cook 1 to 2 minutes until just wilted. No longer.
  4. Remove from heat immediately. Blend completely smooth — do not delay. Two full minutes.
  5. Return to gentle heat. Add cream and lemon juice. Warm through — do not boil. Season with salt and white pepper.
  6. Ladle into warm bowls. Swirl cream. Add watercress sprig and a pinch of pepper or paprika. Serve immediately.

Notes

Add watercress at the very end and blend immediately — this is the entire technique.
Use white pepper — black pepper specks interrupt the beautiful colour.
The potato gives body without competing with the watercress flavour.
Be generous with lemon — it brings the peppery flavour into focus.
Serve immediately — colour fades as the soup sits.
Freeze before adding cream for up to 2 months.
QR Code linking back to recipe