2000s Recipes + Menus

Watercress Vichyssoise

Serves4
  • Active time:30 min
  • Start to finish:2 3/4 hr(includes chilling)
June 2004
There’s no need to trim the watercress; you can use every bit of it in this recipe.

For filling

  • 1 small boiling potato (1/4 lb), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cups (16 fl oz) low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4 cups coarsely chopped watercress (1 large bunch)
  • Simmer potato, onion, broth, and cream, uncovered, in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in watercress and cook mixture, uncovered, over moderately low heat 3 minutes more.
  • Purée soup in 2 batches in a blender until very smooth, about 45 seconds per batch (use caution when blending hot liquids). Force soup through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids and then discarding them. Season with salt and pepper and let soup stand, uncovered, until cool, 45 minutes, then chill, covered, 1 1/2 hours.
Cooks’ notes:
  • Soup can be chilled quickly in a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water. Stir occasionally for 15 minutes, then remove from cold water and refrigerate, covered, until cold, about 30 minutes.
  • Soup can be chilled, covered, up to 2 days.
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