Spring's Spiciest Supergreen, and How to Cook With It

So nutrient-rich that you can eat it to fend off scurvy, watercress is a magic green that adds color, spice, and tang to all kinds of dishes. And though you can find it in most grocery stores year-round, the real time for watercress is now: young, local, springtime watercress—usually found at a farmer's market—is the best watercress gets.

So how should you eat it? I'll get to that in a minute. First, two pointers:

  • Once it's harvested, watercress doesn't last very long, so eat it as soon as you can. If it looks a little wilted when you buy it, shock it in a bowl of ice water. And if you must keep it for a few days, store the watercress in the fridge much the same way you'd store fresh herbs—wrapped in a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag, or placed in a glass of water like a bouquet of flowers and tented with a plastic bag.

  • In the grocery store, you'll often find two different kinds of cress: Thick-stemmed bunches wrapped with a rubber band, and thin-stemmed bunches still attached to their roots, often sold in a plastic bag to lock in humidity and preserve freshness. The latter is upland cress, which is a completely different plant but interchangeable with watercress—and especially good in salads where you might not want the thicker more woodsy stems of traditional watercress.

Got it? Let's cook the stuff.

Puree into soup

The spiciness of watercress is nicely tempered when puréed with potatoes and enriched with crème fraîche and butter in a classic French soup. It's a gorgeous way to start a spring dinner party.

Toss into a Salad

The simplest way to prep watercress—and the way that allows its peppery green flavor to shine best—is to toss it into a salad. You can serve it on its own with a light dressing, or toss it with other greens and veggies. Either way, you'll want to make sure you remove the thickest stems if you're eating it raw.

Layer in Sandwiches

A staple of proper English teatime, watercress sandwiches always feel elegant and sophisticated. For a fun twist, make those sandwiches with Fontina and prosciutto and griddle like grilled cheese.

Add for garnish

Almost every classic French bistro dish is garnished with a sprig of watercress. Toss it in a light vinaigrette just before adding it to the plate for a garnish you'll actually want to eat.

Fold into a dip or sauce

When it comes to dips and dressing, use watercress the same way you would your favorite fresh herb. Add chopped watercress to mayo for an elegant sauce to serve over poached salmon, or stir it into guacamole and start dipping. Or use it to make a green goddess dip that's greener and more flavorful than all the rest.

Blitz into a pesto

Zap watercress in the food processor with a little oil and some parsley for a vibrant herb sauce, or add some nuts and cheese and call it pesto.

Simply Sauté

Watercress is at home in almost any stir-fry—swap it in for any Asian green—or simply sautéed with butter and perhaps some radishes.