What Is Watercress and How Can I Use It?

If watercress has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 137 recipes to try it in.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 cup, chopped (34g)

Amount per Serving

Calories 3Calories from Fat 0

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 0.0g 0%

Saturated Fat 0.0g 0%

Trans Fat ~

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 13mg 1%

Total Carbohydrate 0.4g 0%

Dietary Fiber 0g 1%

Sugars 0.1

Protein 0.8g

Vitamin A 32% Vitamin C 24%

Calcium 4% • Iron 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.

recipeland.com/nutrition

Where found

Watercress are usually found in the produce section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group

Watercress are a member of the Vegetables and Vegetable Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

How much do watercress weigh?

Amount	Weight
1 cup, chopped	34 grams
1 sprig	2 grams
10 sprigs	25 grams

Vegetables and Vegetable Products

Alfalfa sprouts 47 Artichoke hearts 250 Artichokes 82 Asparagus 449 Bamboo shoots 144 Lima beans 129 Green beans 543 Beets 204 Broccoli, frozen 129 Cabbage 684

In Chinese:	豆瓣
British (UK) term:
en français:	cresson
en español:	el berro

Recipes using watercress

There are 137 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Watercress Pesto

These delicious yet nutritious sweet potato gnocchi is coated with refreshing and tangy watercress pesto. It's a dish that's packed with flavor and fills you up with all the goodness and yumminess.

Smoked Salmon Hero Sandwich

Warm French bread loaded with cream cheese, thin-sliced smoked salmon, cucumber, red onion, black olives, and peppery watercress. A deli-style hero sandwich ready in 20 minutes.

Pan-Fried Monkfish with Bunya Nut Hash, Rocket & Madamia Nut Pesto

Pan-fried monkfish, served with bunya nut hash, rocket and macadamia nut pesto

Ribeye Steak with Broccolini, Shitake Mushrooms & Wattleseed Jus

Akudjura (dried bush tomato) crusted Ribeye steak served with broccolini, shitake mushrooms and wattleseed jus.

Paperbark Smoked Duck with Lllawarra Plum Sauce

Paperbark smoked duck, garnished with mushrooms and finished with Illawarra Plum Sauce.

Refreshing Cobb Salad

Classic Cobb salad with chicken, bacon, avocado, egg, and Roquefort dressing. Composed salad with rows of colorful toppings over crisp lettuce, perfect for elegant lunches.

Citrus Salad with Watercress & Shaved Parmesan

Grapefruit, orange and watercress create this refreshing and light salad. Great to serve before or after any heavier fat laden meal to clean the palate. Also good to incorporate some fall and winter fruit.

Avocado & Watercress Salad with Soy Dresssing

A light yet flavorful salad. It's refreshing, tasty and easy to make. Lots of textures and flavors. Creamy, crunchy and delicious.

Beets & Onions Vinaigrette

A simple yet tasty and healthy beet salad. thinly sliced onions are tempered in boiling water then marinated with the beets in extra virgin olive oil and vinegar.

Sugar Snap Watercress Salad with Warm Sesame Dressing

Incredibly fresh and crisp, the sweet sugar snap peas and the watercress flavors really pop with a perfectly balanced dressing highlighted by caramelized shallots. This quick and easy watercress and sugar snap salad is quite tasty, drizzling with the homemade Warm Sesame-Shallot Vinaigrette, a great side or a healthy supper.

Asian Salisbury Steaks & Watercress

A refreshing twist on classic Salisbury steaks. The added sweet red bell pepper, scallions and ginger really boost the flavor of the steak. The watercress gives a nutritional boost. This recipe could work equally as well served on a bed of mashed potatoes with gravy instead of the watercress.

BLT Quesadillas

A sophisticated French American twist on Quesadillas - Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato with some creamy goat cheese... num num.

Cucumber Rounds with Smoked Salmon Mousse

Quick and easy to make finger food perfect hors d'oeuvres or even as a mid-day snack. Rich and creamy smoked salmon mousse on top of light refreshing cucumber rounds.

Bacon Summer Salad

A warm New Orleans-style salad with bacon, romaine, watercress, and Belgian endive tossed in walnut oil and deglazed with red wine and raspberry vinegar. Topped with garlic croutons.

Black Pepper Crusted Steak Sandwiches

Grilled beef tenderloin coated in cracked black pepper, stacked on toasted croissants with aged cheddar, peppery watercress, and a punchy horseradish mayo. From grill to plate in 25 minutes.

Salmon Mousse with Watercress Sauce

Salmon mousse with brandy-flambeed mushrooms and shallots, set with gelatin and folded with whipped cream, served sliced with a fresh watercress-mayonnaise sauce.

Uma Salada Portuguesa - Mixed Green Salad

Uma Salada Portuguesa, a classic Portuguese mixed green salad with lettuce, watercress, tomatoes, purple onion rings, stuffed olives, and a simple lemon vinaigrette. Fresh, bright, and ready in 20 minutes.

Grilled Salmon with Potato & Watercress Salad

Grilled salmon with potato and watercress salad, a smoky indirect-grilled salmon served over pickled red onion potato salad and peppery watercress. Low-fat summer dinner for six.

Ginger-Meatball & Watercress Soup

Serve as the first course of a traditional Chinese dinner or alone as a light nutritious supper.

Curried Broccoli Soup

Chilled curried broccoli soup pureed smooth with chicken stock and finished with cold cream and fresh watercress. A silky, spiced cold soup that comes together in under 45 minutes.

Tuna Provencal

This no-cook French-inspired tuna salad packs briny capers, sliced black olives, roma tomatoes, and red onion with a red wine vinaigrette. Serve on whole grain bread with peppery watercress, or go full Nicoise-style over mixed greens with potatoes, eggs, and green beans.