Watercress Velouté and Liquid Gold

My parents tended their garden lovingly and composted their leftovers to nourish the soil. My dad even went so far as to cart out liquid gold to the garden, giving the compost a dose of  much-needed nitrogen.

Although I’ve been a pretty good daughter, composting is not my bag.  Being jittery, I do, however, save every miniscule vegetable scrap to make awesome liquid gold soup stock.

Simply toss the scraps in a bag, tie and freeze until you have a good amount. Using a large stock pot, cover scraps in water, add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and bring scraps to a boil. Throw in a few extra onions, carrots and celery sticks for flavour. Toss in bones, too, if you want, and simmer for an hour (or several if you use bones.) Liquid gold soup stock freezes well.

Watercress Velouté

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch watercress, chopped
• 5 oz arugula, a few leaves reserved to use as garnish
• 4 1/2 c soup stock
• 1 c chopped fresh herbs: parsley, cilantro, dill
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat, then add onion and celery and lower heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, stirring for 1 minute. Add arugula, watercress, herbs and soup stock. Season with a little salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower to simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Use a blender to purée soup. Adjust seasoning. Serve garnished with arugula leaves and Smoky Chickpea Croutons. Serves 6.

Watercress Velouté Print Ready Recipe

Final notes:

• The ANDI score measures vitamin, mineral and phytonutrient content in relation to caloric content. To earn high rank, a food must provide lots of nutrients for few calories. Watercress received the highest rank possible.
• Watercress  loses its much of its potential cancer fighting properties once you cook it, so Harriet Sugar Miller advises us to enjoy our watercress raw.
• Here’s how to incorporate more arugula into your diet.
• For a golden view of the circular passage of time, listen to Israeli artist Jane Bordeaux‘s song “Ma’agalim,” and watch this stunning video by Israeli animator Uri Lotan.