Creamy vegetable soup with watercress

Name: Creamy vegetable soup with watercress
Ingredients: 1/4 leek (50 g); 20 g vegetable margarine; 2 medium carrots (160 g); 1/2 red bell pepper (75 g); 1/2 zucchini (150 g); 2 medium potatoes (300 g); 1/2 ripe tomato (75 g); 1200 ml water; 1 vegetable or chicken stock cube; 1 teaspoon salt; 60 g fresh watercress

Soups - Creamy vegetable soup with watercress by Severina I. - Recipia

Watercress softens quickly, and creamy vegetable soup with watercress blends to a smooth texture, with no large pieces. The carrots, potatoes, zucchini and pepper make a hearty base, while the watercress flavor remains noticeable after a few minutes of cooking. I choose watercress with small leaves and tender stems. Prep: 15 minutes. Cook: 33 minutes. Total time: 48 minutes. Servings: 4. About 140 kcal and 4 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

1/4 leek (50 g)
20 g vegetable margarine
2 medium carrots (160 g)
1/2 red bell pepper (75 g)
1/2 zucchini (150 g)
2 medium potatoes (300 g)
1/2 ripe tomato (75 g)
1200 ml water
1 vegetable or chicken stock cube
1 teaspoon salt
60 g fresh watercress

Preparation

1. Wash the leek and cut it into julienne strips. Peel the carrots, zucchini and potatoes; cut the carrots into rounds, and the pepper, zucchini and potatoes into large cubes. Cut the tomato into pieces. 2. Melt 20 g of vegetable margarine in a pot and sauté the leek for 3 minutes, until it softens slightly. 3. Add the carrots and pepper, then the zucchini, potatoes and tomato. Cover the pot and cook the vegetables over low heat for 5 minutes, to let them steam. 4. Gradually pour in 1200 ml of boiling water, just enough to cover the vegetables by about two finger widths. Add the salt and the vegetable or chicken stock cube. Boil for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are easy to mash with a spoon. 5. Blend the vegetables, then return the soup to the heat. Add the watercress leaves and cook for 5 minutes, until they soften.

Notes

Keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days; when reheating, stir over low heat and thin with a little water if it has thickened. Toast is all you need on the side. Choose watercress with green leaves and tender stems, not yellowing ones. If you cut the vegetables larger, cooking may take more than 20 minutes; the potato should be easy to mash with a spoon. Sometimes the soup turns out too thick after blending; thin it with hot water, 50 ml at a time, until it flows easily off a spoon. If you can’t find watercress, you can use 60 g of baby spinach; the flavor will be milder.