The day I wanted to make watercress soup and I ended with lamb's lettuce and rocket soup

Even though sometimes a recipe is clear in your mind, and you’re determined to do it, because it’s perfect for the occasion, the circumstances of the day can make you change your mind.

I love watercress soup. I think is perfect warm for a cold day and chilled for the summer. The flavour is delicate, kind of herbal, a bit spicy and very refreshing. Watercress soup is known as a classy recipe, and I’m sure the Regency people of my beloved Jane Austen’s novels ate it frequently.

I crossed paths with watercress soup when I was a very small girl, when I read The Witches, by Roald Dahl. There is a banquet at the end of the book where watercress soup is served and it has a poison in it that turns people (witches in this case) into mice. So it was a soup I’ve always wanted to cook. Just for trying the mice thing...

The Witches, by Roald Dahl

And I did!! For a very special occasion. Our first annual “Scottish Dinner”. It was really tasty and lovely, thankfully, the people remained people, so no dangerous side effects for the soup. So I really wanted to make it again for my dad last week.

Watercress soup

And here is when circumstances became bitches. I went, as happily as one can go, to the supermarket with the intention to buy some watercress, but there wasn’t any!!! I was very pissed off, when the inspiration made me see the light!!! I was going to make a rocket soup!!! I like rocket, but its flavour is really intense, so I had to make it a bit mild for another kind of tastes, then I saw the lamb’s lettuce, and I decided to mix it.

Here is the recipe:

100 gr of rocket

100 gr of lamb’s lettuce

1 medium onion

1 medium potato

1 glass of skimmed milk

2 tbsp of olive oil

Salt and pepper at taste

- Chop the onion finely and make it sweat with the oil and a bit of salt in a heavy bottom saucepan, with the lid closed.

- Then add the potato, cutted in small cubes and let it cook in a low fire, for the water contained at the onion be able to start cooking the potato.

- When the potato starts to be cooked, you will see it because the edges will become a bit translucent, add the lamb’s lettuce and let it shrink a bit, then add the rocket, and stirr it from time to time and let it cook gently.

- Add the milk, and let it simmer for about ten minutes.

- Taste it and add the salt and pepper, allowing the mix to boil before tasting it again in case it needs more.

- With a food processor (sincerely, Thermomix is my lady!), puree it until you have a smooth soup.

-Strain it for being sure about the smooth texture and keep it warm for winter or let it cool for summertime.

After doing all of this I ended with a incredibly green soup with a strong flavour. It was tasty and maybe a bit bitter, but we loved it!!! And we even found a parmesan aftertaste!!!! I’m exploring the possibilities with this soup, and if my friends allow me, I’ll make it again for them, maybe with some crunchy serrano ham garnishing it??? Or with a parmesan tuile?? Let the imagination flow!