Cold Cream of Watercress Soup Recipe

Cold Cream of Watercress Soup

Added: 25th September 2006

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Wolfgang PuckCold soups aren’t any harder to make than hot ones. You simmer the featured ingredient in broth, and then puree the mixture. If you want a smoother texture, you might then pass the soup through a fine-meshed sieve. The only important rule to remember is that cold temperatures tend to mute seasonings, so you usually will need to add a little more salt and pepper, and maybe more herbs or spices, than you would for a hot version of the soup. The best way to do this effectively is to season the soup to taste while it’s still hot, and then to taste it again and readjust the seasonings as necessary after you’ve chilled it.Click here for Wolfgang Puck's full introduction.

Ingredients

6 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
4 leeks, white parts only, thoroughly washed and chopped
3 bunches watercress, thoroughly washed, leaves separated from stems, stems chopped
6 C. good quality canned chicken broth or vegetable broth
5 medium baking potatoes, peeled and sliced
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 C. crème fraiche or 1/2 C. each heavy cream and sour cream
1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions

Heat a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and the watercress stems only and sauté until wilted, about 10 minutes.

Add the broth and potatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare an ice water bath by partially filling your largest mixing bowl with ice cubes and water.

In batches to avoid overfilling and splattering, ladle the soup into a blender or food processor, adding some of the crème fraiche and watercress leaves with each batch and reserving about 2 dozen whole leaves for a garnish. Puree each batch and transfer to a fine-meshed strainer held over a large mixing bowl that fits inside the ice water bath, using a rubber spatula to press the puree through the strainer.

Taste the puree, adjust the seasonings to taste with more salt and pepper, and stir in the lemon juice. Place the bowl of soup inside the ice water bath and chill it until cool, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Remove the bowl of soup from the ice water bath, dry its underside, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Before serving, taste the soup. If it is too thick, thin it with a little cold milk, broth, or water, to a thick, creamy consistency. Adjust the seasonings if necessary. Ladle into chilled bowls and decoratively garnish each serving with a few of the reserved watercress leaves.

Yield: 6-8 servings

(Chef Wolfgang Puck’s TV series, “Wolfgang Puck’s Cooking Class,” airs Sundays on the Food Network. Also, his latest cookbook, “Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy,” is now available in bookstores. Write Wolfgang Puck in care of Tribune Media Services Inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, N.Y. 14207.)