Watercress and Potato Soup

I posted a couple of recipes that I made when M and I had friends over for dinner last week. M made the soup and it is in fact the same soup she made on my birthday. It is a tasty and healthy watercress soup, thickened with potatoes. So I’m turning this post over to M:

This is a recipe of Delia’s, so can be found on her website but I think it’s worth repeating here as it turned out so well (note from Veggie Dyke: M didn’t follow the recipe exactly, which means it’s not the same recipe as Delia’s. Even one changes means it is your own recipe!).

The lack of a measuring jug meant it turned out a touch watery the second time round. This was overcome by the addition of some cream, but the recipe must be quite sensitive so be careful to stick to the amounts stated.

Ingredients:
1 large onion
25 g butter (plus one teaspoon)
175g watercress
350 g potato (2 baking potatoes)
½ pint milk
¾ pint vegetable stock
salt to taste
pepper to taste
a little lemon juice
a little cream as needed

Instructions:
1. Chop the onion. Melt the 25 g of butter and gently heat the onion so that it cooks but doesn't brown (takes about 5 minutes).
2. Add 110g of the watercress, cover and leave it to sweat for 15 minutes (it makes things easier at the final stages to chop the watercress stalks into small pieces).
3. Meanwhile, chop the potato and put it in another pan with boiling water (and salt according to Delia), and boil for 10 minutes until tender.
4. Drain potatoes and return to pan.
5. Add teaspoon of butter and a splash of the milk, and whisk until very smooth (ideally with a hand blender).
6. Add stock and remaining milk and watercress to the watercress pan.
7. Whisk in mash so that it’s well blended.
8. Season, and simmer gently for another 10 minutes.
9. Liquidise, add lemon juice, and check seasoning. Add cream if desired.
10. Re-heat gently before serving.
11. Ta-da!