Watercress Soup With Blue Cheese Cashew Pastries Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and celery and sauté over a medium heat for 5 mins until pale golden. Stir in the potato and stock and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 10 mins or until the potato is tender.
• 2. Stir in the watercress, cover and cook for a further 5 mins or until the watercress is wilted. Transfer the soup to a food processor and blitz until smooth. Return the soup to the rinsed out pan add the milk, nutmeg, lemon juice and seasoning to taste. Gently reheat until piping hot and serve with crusty bread.

Steps:

• Gently cook the leeks in the butter and olive oil until soft but not coloured. Add the celeriac and stock, bring to the boil and simmer until the celeriac is soft. Add the bags of watercress and blend until smooth, then season. Cool. Will freeze for up to 3 months.
• To serve, defrost the soup in the fridge overnight, then tip into a saucepan and reheat. Top each toasted baguette slice with some goat's cheese, then add a slice to each bowl with a sprig of watercress.

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the potato, garlic, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring, until the potatoes are well coated, 2 to 3 minutes more. Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer.
• Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Stir in the watercress and cook 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat, discard the thyme and let cool at least 5 minutes. Carefully puree until smooth with a handheld immersion blender or in 2 to 3 batches in a blender (do not fill the blender more than halfway full per batch).
• Stir in the cream and reheat the soup if necessary, adjusting the consistency and seasoning with additional water, salt and pepper.
• Serve hot sprinkled with almonds and chives.