Leek Pea Watercress Soup Recipes

PEA & WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then gently fry the onion and garlic for 5 mins or until soft. Add the potato, stock and 500ml water, then simmer for 7 mins until the potato is just cooked.
• Scatter in the peas and watercress, stir, cover, then simmer for 3 mins. Add the mint leaves and blitz with a hand blender until smooth. Stir in the cream and season to taste. Serve ladled into bowls, scattered with more mint and some cracked black pepper.

POTATO, LEEK, AND PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir leeks in the melted butter until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Stir potatoes and chicken broth into the leeks and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.
• Stir peas and tarragon into the soup; simmer until peas are tender, about 5 minutes.
• Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than half full.
• Hold down the lid of the blender with a towel and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup in the pot.
• Pour milk into the pureed soup and bring to a simmer over medium heat until heated through. Season with salt and black pepper.

WATERCRESS AND LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add broth, potato, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Add 2 bunches watercress and cook until bright green and tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables and a little liquid to a blender; puree until smooth and pour into a bowl. Puree remaining liquid in blender and return to pot. Stir in pureed vegetables and season soup with salt.
• In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Add remaining watercress and toss. Serve soup topped with watercress.

LEEK, PEA & WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and fry for 7-10 mins or until softened and translucent.
• Pour in the hot stock and simmer for 5-10 mins. Stir through the watercress, reserving a few leaves for garnish, then the peas, and cook for 5 mins until wilted. Use a hand blender or processor and whizz until smooth. Stir through the lemon juice and zest, then season to taste. Stir through half the parsley. Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining parsley, reserved watercress and a drizzle of olive oil. Swirl through some crème fraîche, then serve with crusty bread, if you like.

POTATO, LEEK AND WATERCRESS SOUP WITH BAY SCALLOPS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, cover 1/2 of the potatoes with cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and blanch until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and reserve.
• In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and leeks and stir. Cover the pot and saute the onions and leeks until they are translucent, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Uncover, and add the raw potatoes, the bouquet garni, salt and pepper, chicken stock and cream, and stir. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium heat, uncovered. Simmer until the potatoes are soft, cooking for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Using a blender, puree the soup in batches. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper. Return the soup to the pot, add the blanched potatoes, and place over medium heat. When the soup begins to simmer, add the watercress and scallops, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring once. Ladle the soup into hot bowls and sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately.

WATERCRESS SOUP (JULIA CHILD)

Steps:

• When measuring the watercress leaves and stems, pack them down in the measuring cup.
• Simmer leeks, potatoes, water and salt together, partially covered, 40-50 minutes until vegetables are tender.
• Stir in watercress and simmer 5 minutes.
• While the watercress is simmering, you can prepare the following optional garnish if you wish: a small handful of watercress leaves boiled 30 seconds, rinsed in cold water and drained.
• Mash the vegetables in the soup with a fork, or puree in blender. Correct seasoning.
• Off heat and just before serving, stir in cream or butter by spoonfuls. Decorate with the optional watercress leaves.

EASY WATERCRESS AND LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Bring stock, leeks, potato, and garlic to a boil in a medium pot. Reduce heat to medium; cook until leeks are tender and potato is soft, about 15 minutes. Add chopped watercress; cook until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes.
• Puree the stock and vegetables in a blender until smooth (work in batches, if necessary, to avoid filling blender more than halfway). Season with salt and pepper. Top each serving with sour cream, and garnish with watercress, if desired.

SQUASH, LEEK, AND WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Remove and discard the root, tough outer leaves, and tops of leeks to where the dark green begins to pale. Chop leeks, and saute in butter in a large Dutch oven for 5 minutes or until tender.
• Add squash, and saute for 4 minutes. Stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the squash is tender. Add the watercress, hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Transfer mixture in batches to a blender (I use a handheld blender and leave everything in the pot). Ladle soup into soup bowls. Garnish, if desired.