Cream of Water-cress Soup – Potage Crème De Cresson

To me, soup is the any-time-of-year food. Forget what you heard that it's only for winter. And this soup is a perfect example. Interestingly, (but likely not coincidentally,) the recipe seems to be a combination of techniques learned in the first 2 recipes in the book (Potato Leek Soup– Potage Parmentier & Cream of Mushroom Soup – Potage Veloute Aux Champignons.) Both excellent soups, so this 3rd recipe was just the ticket.

Never really heard of "Water-cress" before this. Julia bills this soup as "a lovely soup...perfect one for an important dinner." Since is was just for me and Husband, I figured that was important enough! Water-cress isn't sold at any of my normal grocery spots, so where do we go for the freshest and best produce? Why Whole Foods of course! They have yet to let me down, and today was no exception. Fresh and green,it reminded me a little bit of baby spinach.

Fresh Water-cress

This soup seemed a bit thicker and creamier than the earlier Mushroom soup. Even though it's the same technique, not sure if maybe I followed the directions a bit better this time (?) but there is this one part where you whisk in egg yolk and whipping cream into the hot soup "by driblets". I guess the intention is to do it slow enough to keep the eggs from setting too quickly?

The technique that came from the Potato-Leek soup was the use of the food-mill. Now we purchased a really nice food-mill at an All Clad factory sale a few years ago, and it has just been collecting dust in our kitchen since then. So I was so ecstatic to be able to use it twice already and maybe my my practice the last time made for perfect here. Either way, the results were deliciously amazing!

Cream of Water-cress Soup  – Potage Crème De Cresson

Next up - the ultimate in French soup - - Onion!!!