Cheese based soups are wonderfully tasty and so simple to make. This Cream cheese and watercress soup is quite unusual with a delicate flavour and lovely colour. It doesn?t really matter how much watercress you use and you can of course add other delicately flavoured ingredients that you might have in the fridge such as leftover peas or even shredded lettuce. Whilst this is a chilled soup, and ideal for a Summer lunch, it can also be served hot ? just remember not to boil the soup after adding the cheese but to reheat gently.
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch watercress
- 4 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
- 175g potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
- 750ml hot vegetable or chicken stock
- 100g soft or cream cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Wash the watercress and reserve a few sprigs for garnish.
Trim away any coarse stalks, then chop the watercress roughly and put into a large saucepan.
Add the onions, potatoes and stock and stir well.
Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
Allow the soup to cool a little , then spoon in the cheese.
Blend until the soup is smooth and creamy, then add salt and pepper to taste.
Chill the soup well before serving, garnished with watercress leaves.
Top tip for making Chilled cream cheese and watercress soup
If you prefer a chunky texture simply blend the soft cheese with a little of the cooked potato and watercress soup, pour into the pan then mash everything down with a masher until you get the consistency you like. The chunkier soup is best served hot.
