I’ve come to the conclusion that people generally fall into one of two camps when it comes to following a recipe. There are those like my Jonny, that like to follow a recipe to the letter and find even minor substitutions (such as granulated sugar in lieu of caster) uncomfortable.
Then there are people like me (surely I can’t be alone on this?) that find following a recipe to the letter nigh on impossible. Even if I happen to have all the ingredients in the cupboards, I just can’t help myself from pimping or adapting as I go.
Perhaps it’s my child like attention span that is to blame, or maybe my subconscious just thinks it can do it better (I promise my conscious isn’t that arrogant. I often concoct a dish that is pretty gross, and sometimes even inedible. Just ask Jonny about the salad I made him last week. I mean who the hell gets a salad wrong??!)
The positive flip side of this that my brain constantly concocts new recipes or mixes of ingredients, which probably makes being a food blogger my most perfect job in the world.
So, all this waffle is to pre-empt my apology of the lack of actual ‘recipe’ in this ‘recipe’ for Watercress and Pine Nut Soup.
I made it on Sunday morning, not long after Jonny had made me a Full English. The kitchen was a mess, my belly was full, but I wanted this soup made as Lizzy and Harrison were coming down, and we were off on a beach clean.
I was feeling rebellious, and even though I planned to blog this soup, I didn’t measure one iota of what went in it. My bad.
So, for all you ‘a type’ recipe devourers, please go and google for a proper recipe. However, for all my brother and sisters with the attention spans of gnats, this one is for you. Pimp and preen, substitute and ignore. Live life dangerously, and enjoy every morsel.
I’m already wondering how good it would taste with cashew nuts instead of pine nuts…
- Water or stock start with maybe 1/2 a litre and add more when blending if needed.
- 1 potato chopped. This is to thicken the soup naturally, so if you plan to feed more people, add more.
- 1 onion or small leek chopped.
- Garlic as much as you want.
- 1 or 2 largish bunches of watercress thick stems removed.
- Pine nuts maybe a man size handful. Toast first in dry frying pan to add more flavour.
- Coconut milk or cream perhaps 2 tablespoons, to make it extra yummy.
- Salt & pepper.
- Cook the potato, onion and garlic in the water or stock until potato is cooked.
- Add watercress, put on lid and turn off heat. after a minute or so, stir watercress.
- When all has wilted, blitz with a blender.
- Add pine nuts and cream, blitz again.
- Season, taste, eat.
Morgan @ Peaches, Please! says
I would never have thought to make a soup out of watercress and pine nuts. Looks delicious!
Jane Sarchet says
Thanks Morgan, it left me feeling rather virtuous :)
Janie x
Karen says
LOVELY recipe and photos, and another VEGGIE recipe, are you and Johnny turning to the green side Janie? LOL! SUPER stuff though, and I adore watercress too!
Jane Sarchet says
Shhh! Don’t tell everyone! :)
Janie x
Glamorous Glutton says
I love watercress and you’ve just reminded me how delicious this soup can be. Pine nuts are a great addition. I’m a tweaker, like you. My friends call it going off piste and it makes them very nervous. GG
Jane Sarchet says
Haha, off piste huh? The ‘making them nervous’ bit sums it up perfectly :)
Janie x
Choclette says
I’ve barely ever followed a recipe in my life – I think I’m incapable. It’s called being creative ;-) Your soup looks just perfect – so green and fresh and spring like. We used to have watercress growing down on our plot, but it annoyingly died in the cold winter a couple of years ago. We used to have a lot of watercress soups. I’ve never added nuts to soup, other than having them as a bit of decoration, so must try one day.
Jane Sarchet says
Thank you Choclette, I figured I wasn’t alone, and I like to think it’s because of being a creative :)
Janie x
London Unattached Lifestyle Food and Travel says
I’m another failed recipe follower. So much so that I can’t do Dom’s challenge ever because I just know I’ll go astray. To be honest though I think it makes you a better cook because you get a feel for what works…
Kris mouse says
The picture sold it to me and I will be eating it for dinner tomorrow
Great blog ,great content ,great food thankyou for sharing
Jane Sarchet says
Kris, your message has made my day :) Thank you for taking the time to comment and I hope you enjoy your little bowl of sunshine!
Janie x
Sylvia says
I’m in the second camp – don’t follow the recipe. I always find something else to add to suit my taste ;) Love your soup, looks like something I can serve to my OH – no chunky bits ;)
Jane Sarchet says
Thanks Sylvia!
Janie x
Tammy/Our Neck of the Woods says
It’s such a bright, cheery color! I have to say, I’m with Jonny on the recipe thing. I’m getting better at improvising now that I’ve been cooking for several years, but it still makes me nervous! I am a bit of a perfectionist, so that’s probably why I feel anxious if I stray from the recipe! And probably why I like baking so much because you HAVE to be precise in baking to get the food to come out right ;)
Jane Sarchet says
So pretty isn’t it Tammy?
You know, re the recipe thing, I make it up when I’m baking too. I guess I’ve always been a rebel :)
Janie x
Emma says
I love ‘a splash of this’ and ‘a dash of that’ recipes! They almost have to be my favourite way of cooking.
Jane Sarchet says
Yay! Glad you approve Emma, Jonny frowned upon it :)
Janie x
Janice Pattie (@FarmersgirlCook) says
That looks very good, so much green has to be good for you!
Jane Sarchet says
Absolutely Janice!
Janie x
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
Guess what I have lots of on my kitchen table J?
Jane Sarchet says
Is it green and peppery…? :)
Janie x
Jacqueline says
It looks so good. Such a vibrant colour an anyway who cares about quantities when it comes to soup? Just chuck it all in, season it and it’ll taste wonderful. You’ve given us what we need to make it and what a fabulous pairing.
ps you should enter it into No Croutons Required
Jane Sarchet says
Absolutely Jac! :)
Janie x
Franglais kitchen, Nazima says
oh this is gorgeous. I love the colours and the nut topping is such a great idea. Pretty pics too.
Jane Sarchet says
Thank you Nazima!
Janie x
Ren Behan says
So bright! I could make this in my Vitamix in a jiffy.
Jane Sarchet says
Indeed you could! Hope you love it if you give it a try :)
Janie x
Madeleine Morrow says
What a colour. A bowlful of emerald goodness. Love watercress. Will give this healthy soup a try
Jane Sarchet says
Enjoy Madeleine!
Janie x
Nayna Kanabar says
I have never cooked or eaten water cress, being a vegetarian I guess tgats shameful so watercress is on my shopping list now so I can try this awesome soup.
Jane Sarchet says
Aww, that’s brilliant! That is one of the best things about reading food blogs, is opening us up to new tastes and foods. My shopping basket is so much more varied now than before I blogged! I hope you love watercress, it’s a wonderful little plant!
Janie x
Louisa Foti says
My kind of recipe, love it. I belong to your recipe following camp, even way before the days of food blogging I couldn’t help but add all my own variations on ingredients and quantities! Other than the odd cake I can’t think when I last followed a recipe to the letter, so yep I have the perfect blog writing job too. I have a very dear friend who also belongs to this camp BUT I’m always suggesting she might try at belonging to the former – absolutely each and every dish she cooks is nigh on disaster, her substitutions are just too wild, and the finished food is absolutely incomparable to what it should have been!! Does give me good cause to chuckle though, and she knows it!. Great watercress soup recipe btw.
Jane Sarchet says
Oh no! Hopefully the majority of her meals are edible though :)
Janie x
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
What a fantastic colour – I love it. I have never added nuts to my soup, I am going to try it though :)
Jane Sarchet says
Oh do it! I made a broccoli & almond soup many moons ago, utterly delish!
Janie x
Rachel says
I know I’m a bit late commenting here, but I’ve just found your blog (love it!) and I’ve been scrolling back through the posts. I read this one thinking, “Sounds nice… I could use nasturtium leaves instead of watercress, and maybe a dollop of mascarpone cheese instead of cream.” I think you can guess which camp I fall into regarding recipes!
Jane Sarchet says
Ha, I’m getting the picture :) Nasturtium soup… Hmmm…
Janie x
Lucy @ BakingQueen74 says
Love the colour of this soup – can’t wait for watercress season!