Watercress Oyster And Scallion Soup Recipes

CHILLED WATERCRESS SOUP WITH ONION CREAM

Steps:

• For soup:
• Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until soft, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add leek and sauté 5 minutes. Add vegetable broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Allow broth to cool uncovered 15 minutes.
• Place 3 cups watercress in blender. Pour half of warm broth mixture over watercress and blend until smooth.
• Add half and half and blend until combined. Transfer soup to bowl. Puree remaining broth mixture in blender until smooth; stir into soup in bowl. If more watercress flavor is desired, puree 1/2 cup watercress with 2 cups soup in same blender. Repeat with more watercress, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• For green onion cream:
• Whisk crème fraîche, white and pale green parts of green onions, and all remaining ingredients in small bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Divide soup among 6 shallow bowls. Drizzle with green onion cream; sprinkle with sliced dark green onion tops.

WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil and garlic, cook until sizzling and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in potato and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook 1 minute.
• Add stock and 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in watercress. Return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among soup bowls and squeeze a lemon wedge into each bowl. Serve immediately.

WATERCRESS, OYSTER AND SCALLION SOUP

Steps:

• Shuck the oysters over a bowl and reserve their liquor. Strain the liquor through one or two thicknesses of dampened cheesecloth into another bowl. Set both the oysters and liquor aside.
• Melt the butter in a skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the scallions and saute for about three minutes until just softened. Set aside.
• Cook the carrots in boiling salted water to cover for about two minutes until just tender. Drain immediately and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Pat them dry and set aside.
• In a large, nonreactive saucepan or stock pot, bring the wine to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat. Slowly stir in the half-and-half and heavy cream. Stir the mixture constantly to prevent curdling. When well mixed, return the pan to the heat and bring to a slow boil. Cook uncovered over high heat for about five minutes until slightly thickened.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the reserved oyster liquor. Add the scallions and carrots and cook for about five minutes until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add the watercress and cook gently for about five minutes longer until heated through. Add the oysters and stir briskly for about one minute until their edges just begin to curl. Immediately ladle the soup into bowls and garnish by floating the lemon slices on top of the soup.