Watercress recipes

A punchy, vibrant noodle salad where watercress is tossed with soba noodles in a bold sesame and soy dressing with ginger and rice vinegar. The peppery bite of a generous pile of watercress cuts right through the richness of the sesame, making every forkful lively and satisfying. This comes together in under 25 minutes and works brilliantly as a weeknight main or a packed lunch the next day.

This is the salad that earns its place as a main course. A properly rested rump steak, sliced thin and laid over a generous pile of peppery watercress dressed with a mustardy vinaigrette, with walnuts for crunch and salty nuggets of blue cheese throughout. The heat from the steak gently wilts the leaves just at the edges — that is exactly what you want.

A proper British tart built around a thick, peppery layer of watercress stirred into a horseradish cream custard with flakes of smoked trout running through it. The filling is set in a buttery shortcrust case and has a deep savoury richness that makes it every bit as good warm from the oven as it is cold the next day. This is the kind of thing that gets requested again and again once you have made it.

Saag is usually made with spinach, but watercress brings a peppery heat to this dish that spinach simply cannot. The golden paneer cubes absorb the spiced sauce beautifully, and the cumin butter poured over at the end is the detail that elevates it from good to genuinely brilliant. Serve with warm chapatis or basmati rice for a satisfying weeknight dinner.