Watercress recipes

With its peppery leaves, watercress adds a knockout punch to salads and side dishes. But it’s also fantastic cooked in a soup, whizzed into a sauce or bashed into a pesto. Here’s our ways to use watercress in your cooking.

It’s at its best in spring and autumn in the UK, although the season does run right through summer.

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Sausage, courgette and watercress pesto pasta

Sausage pasta recipes

Sausage, courgette and watercress pesto pasta

Peppery summer watercress is a brilliant partner for silky courgettes in this easy  sausage pasta dish with homemade, lemony pesto.

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Watercress soup with lardons and poached eggs

Watercress recipes

Watercress soup with lardons and poached eggs

Watercress soup makes an ideal spring supper when you add crisp lardons and a poached egg. Try this simple recipe from Debora Robertson.

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Chilled herb and greens soup

15-minute meal recipes

Chilled herb and greens soup

Need to cool down on a hot day? Take those wilted leaves languishing in the fridge and 5 mins later – huzzah! Chilled herb and greens soup.

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Strawberry, clotted cream and watercress salad

Best of British recipes

Strawberry, clotted cream and watercress salad

Where do you stand on strawberry salad? We are all for the combination of sweet and savoury, and Claire Thompson has pulled a blinder here.

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Leek and watercress risotto

Risotto recipes

Leek and watercress risotto

Leek risotto is kept fresh, light and peppery thanks to a simple watercress puree stirred through right before serving.

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Pasta with watercress and radish pesto

15-minute meal recipes

Pasta with watercress and radish pesto

Use up summer veg in this quick pasta recipe with a peppery radish and watercress pesto. The thrifty recipe uses every part of the radish.

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Pea and watercress vol-au-vents

May seasonal recipes

Pea and watercress vol-au-vents

Serve these moreish vol au vents with a creamy watercress and pea filling, then top with radish or smoked trout.

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Trofie pasta with watercress, courgette and almonds

Italian pasta recipes

Trofie pasta with watercress, courgette and almonds

Follow our image-led guide on how to make trofie pasta with watercress, courgette and almonds by Adam Banks – with tips on how to roll.

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Watercress and tomato scone-based ‘pizza’

Pizza recipes

Watercress and tomato scone-based ‘pizza’

We've flavoured our pizza-with-a-scone-base, with watercress and cheddar cheese for a tasty twist and topped it with seasonal cherry tomatoes.

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Pancetta, watercress and mozzarella arancini

Italian starter recipes

Pancetta, watercress and mozzarella arancini

Crispy arancini risotto balls with a soft and gooey mozzarella, pancetta and watercress centre. The perfect starter or canapé for when you're entertaining. 

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Stilton and watercress chicken kiev

Comfort food recipes

Stilton and watercress chicken kiev

Our recipe for golden, crispy chicken Kievs packs in the flavour by making use of stilton and watercress to make a hot, buttery filling.

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Sardines with watercress salad

Summer salads and sides

Sardines with watercress salad

We've used tinned sardines in this simple salad to keep the cost low, but you could easily swap them for fresh fish if you wish.

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Watercress pesto

Homemade pesto recipes

Watercress pesto

We've used a mixture of watercress and basil in this pesto recipe for a lighter, fresher taste. Stir through pasta or keep stored in the fridge.

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Easy oven-baked bacon, pea and watercress risotto

Midweek meal recipes

Easy oven-baked bacon, pea and watercress risotto

Give your arm a rest; skip endless stirring, bake your risotto instead. Bacon lardons give this light recipe a natural saltiness, while watercress adds pep

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Langoustines with watercress and pastis hollandaise

Prawn recipes

Langoustines with watercress and pastis hollandaise

The aniseed flavour of pastis added to this creamy, rich hollandaise works wonders with cooked langoustines. Serve as a starter and let everyone dig in.

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Smoked salmon and watercress linguine with chilli crumbs

Salmon pasta recipes

Smoked salmon and watercress linguine with chilli crumbs

A quick and easy smoked salmon pasta recipe – made with watercress, chilli and lemon – that will be on the table in 15 minutes.

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