Fennel And Watercress Soup

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 bunch watercress
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup chopped fennel (bulb section)
• 4 cups good quality chicken stock
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon peppercorn
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

Recipe

• 1 melt butter in heavy saucepan.
• 2 add fennel and onion, cook over medium heat until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.
• 3 add potatoes, stock and parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns and thyme enclosed in a small cheesecloth pouch.
• 4 simmer 30 minutes, then remove herb pouch.
• 5 pass soup through food mill or puree until smooth in a food processor or blender.
• 6 pour puree into a clean saucepan, bring back to boil and correct seasoning.
• 7 add cream and chopped parsley.
• 8 place bunch of watercress in boiling water for 3 to 5 seconds then plunge in cold water.
• 9 drain, cut leaves from stalks, chop roughly, and add to soup.
• 10 place soup in a heated tureen, garnish with additional chopped parsley, and serve.