Serves: 4

The Italian name for this soup is vellutata , which means ‘velvety’, and this soup is indeed quite velvety and delicious. It is a favourite of mine, despite it not being really Italian. The recipe was given to me by a friend, a very good English cook. I like the soup very much because the watercress here is not really cooked, just heated through, and thus it keeps its distinctive peppery flavour.

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Ingredients

Name: Spinach and watercress soup - Vellutata di spinaci e crescione
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 30g unsalted butter 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 x 150g can cannellini beans 250ml vegetable stock 1 bunch watercress, washed 500g fresh spinach, roots cut off and washed thoroughly Salt and freshly ground black pepper Single cream and crushed chilli flakes to serve, optional

30g unsalted butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 x 150g can cannellini beans

250ml vegetable stock

1 bunch watercress, washed

500g fresh spinach, roots cut off and washed thoroughly

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Single cream and crushed chilli flakes to serve, optional