watercress soup recipes

Why Watercress Soup Is the Ultimate Winter Comfort Food – Plus 5 Healthy Recipes to Try

Monday 22nd Dec 2025 |

Take Comfort This Winter With Watercress: The Healthy Soup You’ll Want on Repeat

With winter truly upon us we all want to hunker down in the warm and wait until the spring arrives with the sunshine.   But there is one good thing about this time of year – it’s also soup season!  What better way to get through the cold, dark days of winter than with a delicious, warming bowl of soup?

The Watercress Company, the UK’s largest grower of watercress has developed a range of mouth-watering soups that not only taste good but do you good too.  Each is packed full of watercress, itself bursting with goodness, blended together with a raft of other fresh ingredients to support immunity, boost health and get us through to Spring.

With an impressive perfect 100 score for nutrient density awarded by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, raw watercress is rich in vitamins A (as beta carotene), C, and K1 and is a source of folate, vitamin B6, calcium and iron.

In fact, gram for gram watercress contains more vitamin C than an orange, more calcium than milk, more folate than a banana and morevitamin E than an egg, plus it boasts a plethora of powerful pre-antioxidants, called glucosinolates.  These compounds are converted into isothyiocyanates, by the action of chewing.  The key isothiocyanate in watercress is phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) which, in fact, provides watercress’s characteristic peppery bitterness and is its ‘superpower’.  Recent research into PEITC suggests that it may influence cellular pathways linked to ageing and oxidative stress, the precursors to cancer. But in addition, bitter compounds like PEITC are currently of interest in appetite suppression research, where isothiocyanates may work in the same way as new weight loss drugs, by increasing the hormone GLP-1(1).  

Phytonutrients like PEITC also have the potential to help metabolic health (how your body processes things like fats and sugar) and to protect from inflammatory processes that occur with Type 2 Diabetes (2), for example. Studies show watercress can benefit our gut health too by providing glucosinolates and fibre as fuel for our gut microbes, which in turn can promote intestinal health and potentially reduce gut inflammation (3) and the risk of possible bowel cancer. 

Added to all this watercress isnaturally low in fat, low in saturated fat, sugar free, a source of fibre, high in protein, is low in salt and, like beetroot, contains nitrates.  When chewed in the mouth these are a converted into nitrites and later in the stomach are further converted into nitrogen gas.  This gas enters the bloodstream dilating the blood vessels which in turn lowers blood pressure.

You’d be hard pressed to find another veg that is as good for you as watercress, what’s more, it’s delicious and versatile too!

So, give these recipes a whirl for a tasty bowlful of goodness.

Watercress & Chicken Soup

Serves 2 

Prep time: 10mins

Cook time: 15mins

This delicious Watercress & Chicken Soup is packed with flavour and nutrient-rich ingredients. Watercress provides vitamin C, which contributes to the normal function of our skin, nerve function and our immune system, while chicken supplies high-quality protein for the maintenance of normal muscle mass and is a source of zinc, a mineral that also contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Garlic and ginger add a delightful aromatic depth and warmth!

Ingredients

  • 80g Watercress, roughly chopped & big stalks removed
  • 150g Leftover Roast Chicken, shredded
  • 1 198g tin sweetcorn, drained
  • Thumb sized piece of ginger, thinly sliced or grated
  • 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced or grated
  • 600ml Chicken Stock
  • Lemongrass to serve

Can serve with noodles or spring onions

Method

  1. In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the ginger and garlic and allow to infuse for a few minutes before adding the roast chicken and sweetcorn.
  2. Allow this to cook for a few minutes more, then add half of the watercress and allow to wilt.
  3. Serve with the other half of the watercress raw, for extra crunch.

Watercress Soup with an Egg

A classic watercress soup rich in iron with the combined impact of watercress and spinach but add an egg and benefit from a source of high-quality protein and essential vitamins like D, B12, and A.

Serves 2 

Prep time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Ingredients

  • 60g watercress
  • 30g spinach
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 large potato, chopped small approx. 150g
  • 50ml crème fraiche
  • 2 eggs

Method

  1. In a pan, gently soften the shallot in a little oil before setting aside.
  2. In a pot, boil the chopped potato until soft. Add the watercress and spinach at the last moment, allow to cook for no more than a minute. Strain the mixture but reserve the cooking liquid.
  3. Add the shallot to the potato mixture and, using a hand blender, blitz everything together. Add the reserved cooking liquid a little at a time to thin it out to your desired texture.
  4. Stir though the crème fraiche and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  5. To serve, poach 2 eggs for 2-3 minutes in boiling water, until the whites are cooked but the yolk is runny. Serve the soup in 2 bowls and place an egg in each.
  6. Enjoy piping hot with crusty bread.

Watercress, Pea & Parsley Soup

Bright and refreshing, this Watercress, Pea & Parsley Soup is a celebration of green goodness. Peas provide protein, fibre and are a rich source of thiamine, which promotes the normal function of our nervous system and heart. Watercress adds a rich source of vitamin C, great for supporting the immune system, while parsley enhances the soup with fresh, herbaceous flavour.

Serves 2

Prep time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Ingredients

  • 60g watercress
  • 80g peas
  • 20g parsley, chopped, plus extra for serving
  • 1 large potato, chopped small approx. 150g
  • Crème Fraiche, for drizzling

Method

  1. In a pot, boil the potato until soft before adding the peas. As the peas are nearly cooked through, add the watercress, and allow to wilt for 30-60 seconds. Strain the mixture, retaining the cooking liquid.
  2. Add the parsley to the mixture and, using a hand blender, blend everything together. Thin to desired consistency with the retained cooking liquid and season to taste.
  3. Serve with croutons or crusty bread.

Watercress, Leek & Parsnip Soup (vegan)

This vegan creamy Watercress, Leek & Parsnip Soup is packed with garden-fresh vegetables. Leeks and watercress provide vitamins A and C, which support normal vision and the normal function of the immune system. Parsnips contribute a smooth, naturally sweet texture and are a source of fibre, making this a wholesome, satisfying choice for any meal.

Serves 4 

Prep time: 10mins

Cook time: 25mins

Ingredients

  • 80g Watercress, roughly chopped
  • 2 Leeks (approx. 300g), sliced
  • 2 Parsnips (approx. 200g), peeled & sliced
  • Salt & pepper
  • Croutons

Method

  1. Bring a 1L pot of water to a boil and add the parsnips, cook for 5-10 minutes until beginning to soften, then add the leeks.
  2. Simmer until both leeks and parsnips are cooked, about 10 minutes. Take the pot off the heat, add the watercress and allow to wilt slightly, then strain the vegetables from the liquid keeping it to one side to add back in to the soup.
  3. Using either a handheld blender or food processor, blitz the vegetables adding a little of the cooking water in between to thin the mixture out until you reach your desired consistency.
  4. Serve with croutons or warm crusty bread.

One Pot Vegan Thai Green Noodle Soup with Watercress

Spices are a vital, but often forgotten, element in our 30 a week target for fruit and veg.  This delicious spicy soup, which here is vegan but could easily include chicken for some extra protein, is a wonderful way to ‘eat the rainbow’.

Serves 2 

Prep time: 15mins

Cook time: 20mins

Ingredients

  • Thumb sized piece of ginger, finely sliced or grated
  • 2 portions of your favourite noodles
  • 50g Watercress, roughly chopped
  • Thai Green Curry Paste
  • 1 Sweet Potato (approx. 250g), diced small
  • 200ml Coconut Milk
  • 200ml Water
  • Coriander
  • Lime
  • Cashews
  • Lemongrass
  • Vegetable oil

Method

  1. In a large pot, heat a small amount of oil and cook the sweet potato until almost soft. Then, add the ginger and cook until it becomes fragrant.
  2. Add a little more oil to the pan if needed before adding the Thai green curry paste. Stir to coat the sweet potato in the paste, then add the coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil then allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sweet potato is completely cooked through and the soup has thickened a little. You can always add more water if you want.
  3. Add your chosen noodles to the pot and once cooked, add the watercress. Cook for 30-60 seconds more, so the watercress softens slightly, then serve.
  4. Sprinkle some fresh coriander over the top and a squirt of fresh lime juice.

Enjoy soup season this year and treat yourself to a bowl full of nourishment.

For these and more recipes visit www.watercress.co.uk and for further information on the health benefits of watercress, visit www.thewatercresscompany.com.


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