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This easy Watercress Soup Recipe is a perfect spring meal. A creamy, light soup bursting with goodness from fresh watercress and frozen peas. With a swirl of crème fraîche it’s a delicious lunch, perfect for batch cooking, and naturally gluten free.

A bowl of watercress soup swirled with creme fraiche.
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I Am Currently Addicted To This Watercress Soup

Author Sarah Howells looking very happy in the garden holding up a bowl of watercress soup.
  • Why choose this recipe? If you love soup but don’t want to give it up when the weather turns warm, this Watercress Soup is perfect. It’s light enough to eat on a warmer day, but still deliciously creamy. Plus it only needs 7 ingredients and is ready in under 20 minutes! Which means more time to enjoy a bowl in the sunshine… or maybe that’s just me!?
  • Batch Cooking: If you love this soup, make a big batch and freeze it in portions. This will save so much time and money on a busy day – it’s great for meal prep.
  • Watercress Season: Watercress is in season in the UK from April until September, making this the perfect spring/summer soup recipe.
  • Serving Suggestion: You can enjoy this watercress and pea soup on its own, but it’s also great loaded with gluten free croutons or with a gluten free bread roll or gluten free baguette for dipping.
A pan of watercress soup.

Ingredients and Substitutions

There’s a printable recipe card below with the quantities for this pea and watercress soup recipe. You only need 7 simple ingredients to make it:

  • Butter: You can use a vegan margarine or olive oil to make this recipe dairy free.
  • Potato: I use a medium/large baking potato – approximately 220g.
  • Shallots: I find these give a much gentler flavour than onion. But you can use a brown or red onion instead if you have these.
  • Vegetable Stock: Always ensure you use a gluten free stock pot, like Knorr, You can also use chicken stock if you prefer.
  • Watercress: I use 160g of watercress (usually found with salad leaves) which is usually two bags.
  • Frozen Peas: These add a lovely flavour, thickness and enhance the vibrant green!
  • Crème Fraîche: I used a low fat one, but full fat works too. Omit this for a dairy free soup, or if you don’t fancy it so creamy.
Ingredients for watercress soup on a pink backdrop with text labels.

How to Make Watercress Soup

There’s a printable recipe card below with the method. But here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this easy watercress soup recipe is to make.

Peel and finely slice the shallots. Peel the potato and cut it into small (1cm) cubes.

Frying potato and shallots in a pan and (right) with vegetable stock added.

Add the butter to a large saucepan and place on a medium heat. Once melted, add the potatoes and shallots and fry for 3-4 minutes.

Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to a boil then simmer for 5-10 minutes until the potato chunks are cooked through. The bigger the chunks, the more time they will need.

Adding the watercress, peas and creme fraiche to the pan.

Once the potato is cooked, add the watercress and frozen peas and mix well. Simmer for another 3-4 minutes.

Turn off the heat, add the crème fraîche and then blend using a stick blender, or pour into a jug blender and blitz until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some FAQs about this watercress soup recipe. If you can’t find the answer to your question here or in the post above, please comment and I’ll try answer!

How do I store leftover watercress soup?

I always portion my leftover soup into tubs and keep it in the fridge. It should last up to 5 days and you can microwave it or reheat in a small pan on the hob.

Can I freeze watercress soup?

Yes, this watercress soup is great for batch cooking and freezing! I always portion up my soup into tubs before freezing then label the tubs up. This means you can reheat from frozen without having to defrost more than you need!

Two bowls of gluten free watercress soup on a pink backdrop.

More Quick Soup Recipes

If you love how quick and easy this gluten free watercress soup is, why not try one of these?

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A bowl of watercress soup swirled with creme fraiche.
5 from 1 vote

Watercress Soup Recipe

This easy watercress soup recipe is creamy, packed full of flavour and so quick to make. Only 7 ingredients and ready in 20 minutes.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 2 portions
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Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 45 g butter
  • 1 baking potato, (approx 220g)
  • 3 small shallots, (or 1 onion)
  • 500 ml gluten free vegetable stock
  • 160 g watercress
  • 140 g frozen peas
  • 3 tbsp crème fraîche, (I used low fat, but full fat works too)
  • Salt and Pepper

Instructions 

  • Peel and finely slice the shallots. Peel the potato and cut it into small (1cm) cubes.
  • Add the butter to a large saucepan and place on a medium heat. Once melted, add the potatoes and shallots and fry for 3-4 minutes.
  • Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to a boil then simmer for 5-10 minutes until the potato chunks are cooked through. The bigger the chunks, the more time they will need.
  • Once the potato is cooked, add the watercress and frozen peas and mix well. Simmer for another 3-4 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat, add the crème fraîche and then blend using a stick blender, or pour into a jug blender and blitz until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper then serve straight away.

Notes

  • Storage: This Watercress Soup recipe can be refrigerated and reheated to eat – or frozen. Heat straight from frozen for an easy meal.
  • Step-by-Step Photos: Check out the blog post above for step-by-step photos of this method if you find it easier to follow a visual guide. There’s also a video in this recipe card for you to follow if that’s easier.
  • Like this Recipe? It would mean SO much to me if you could leave a 5* rating and a little comment if you make this Watercress Soup recipe and love it. It really helps support my blog! Thank you so much in advance xx

Nutrition

Serving: 1 bowl | Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 22g
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
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About Sarah Howells

Hi, I'm Sarah! Diagnosed with coeliac disease 20 years ago, I'm on a mission to create the best gluten free recipes since sliced bread. No fruit salads or dry brownies here.

5 from 1 vote

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1 Comment

  1. 5 stars
    If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave a comment and let me know!! xx