how2heroes » Chilled Wild Watercress Soup

Print Recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

For Soup

1 lb wild watercress, leaves & stems separated
1 russet potato, peeled & chopped
1 onion, peeled & quartered
3 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed
2 bay leaves
10 springs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
kosher salt
water to cover
¼ lb butter, cubed & chilled

Serving Suggestions

cracked black pepper
verjus (unripened grape juice) or Champagne vinegar
miner's lettuce
edible flowers

Equipment

piece of cheese cloth & butcher's twine
blender
fine mesh strainer

How-to

Combine potato, onion, garlic and watercress stems in a pot. Cover by a few inches with water, and season with salt
Wrap herbs, whole black pepper and coriander up in a piece of cheesecloth, tie with butcher's twine and add to the pot
Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and cook until potato is done, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, discard the sachet of herbs and pass through a fine mesh strainer, reserving the cooking liquid. Set aside
Bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil and blanch watercress tops until tender, 1 minute
Transfer tops to an ice bath to "shock" and stop the cooking
In blender, combine the cooked, drained vegetables, the blanched watercress tops, a few ice cubes from the water bath (this will preserve the vibrant green color) and a bit of the reserved cooking liquid. Blend until smooth
Slowly add chilled, diced butter while blending
Pass the soup through a fine mesh strainer into a container set over an ice bath. Transfer container in the ice bath to the refrigerator to chill, about 20 minutes (this will help retain the color)
Remove from ice bath and season with salt & pepper if desired
Ladle into bowls and season with cracked black pepper. Drizzle with verjus or Champagne vinegar, garnish with young lettuce (Josh uses miner's lettuce) and edible flowers if desired

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Josh Lewin

Josh Lewin never planned on becoming a chef, but his background with food would inevitably turn into his career. Josh grew up in Massachusetts and was influenced by his Italian grandmother's culinary specialties when he was young. He began growing his own fruits and vegetables in a small garden plot at age 13 (giving him an early appreciation for sustainable produce!), and created a business plan to turn his family's farmhouse into a bed & breakfast (but, to no avail — his parents wouldn't rent him the space). After trying other careers, Josh decided that the kitchen felt most natural. He didn't attend culinary school, but worked his way through the ranks at Boston-area restaurants before joining the Beacon Hill Bistro team in 2010 under Chef Jason Bond. He took over the role of Executive Chef in 2012, and specializes in "inspiring memories through thoughtful cuisine."

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