Kitchen Play List: Sade ~ The Best of Album
I am a fairly recent convert to a bowl of soup. In fact my only experience of soup before making my own, came out of tins and I thought the tomato variety was disgusting and the vegetable varieties were just...sickly and so I steered well clear of them. I had a friend whose Mother thought that 3 slices of bread on a plate and a heated tin of Heinz Vegetable Soup poured over the top was a healthy and nutritious meal. Yikes! I never stayed there for dinner...ever! lol. Poor guy didn't know food could come fresh and not from a tin. Sad isn't it?
It was meeting My Love that sparked the soup obsession...My Love likes soup and also loves watercress. I was searching through one of my very first cookbooks that came in the form of a pamphlet that I had bought from our town's health food shop. It was only a few pages of recipes but it was my bible when I left home and I left home young...I was 16. I had vague memories of a small soup section in the front of it and sure enough there was. This soup recipe was the only soup that appealed to me. So rather hesitantly I made it and served it up to my rather new partner and it was enjoyed greatly. Phew! And for the first five years we were together it was a regular soup on our table. Sadly I don't have the pamphlet any longer but I do have this recipe written down. I have served it as a lunch and as a starter at dinner parties as it's so very light...almost brothy. But full of peppery watercress flavour and the potato, gives it a slight silkiness.
I made this yesterday when I needed to go on auto pilot in the kitchen and not think, so I apologise for no photo. I will add one when I make it again. It really is the very first soup I made and did indeed spark a passion off inside me for homemade and fresh soups. It may inspire you too?
Watercress Soup Serves 4
(Recipe found in a pamplet..no author sadly)
2 bunches of watercress, large storks removed and roughly chopped
3/4lb potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 pints of veggie stock
1 bouquet garni
salt, to season
black pepper. to season
Place all ingredients into a saucepan, cover and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the veggies are cooked.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove the bouquet garni and season to taste. Blend until smooth. Serve.
That's all there is to this recipe....Give it a try!
Enjoy!
~R~
