Watercress: How to Use It, and What Tradition Credits It With

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Watercress is a peppery leaf vegetable that grows in running spring water, and it has been picked by hand for centuries. This page covers the four plants sold as “cress”, what herbalists and cooks do with the leaves and seeds, how to prepare them so the flavour and nutrients survive, and who should leave it alone.

The four plants sold as “cress”

They are cousins, not the same plant. Knowing which one is in your hand tells you when to pick it and how sharp it will taste.

What it is credited with

• Watercress was grown as a medicinal plant long before it was grown as a vegetable — in 16th-century Europe it belonged to the apothecary’s garden first, and the kitchen second.
• Ancient Roman, Greek and Egyptian cooks kept it in the diet for its spicy bite and the therapeutic reputation attached to it.
• In traditional Indian use, the seeds of cress are the valued part, credited with being drying to the digestion, water-shifting, restorative and even aphrodisiac.
• Indian folk belief also hands cress a reputation for settling hiccups.
• Naturopathy values cress as a spring green: bitter, peppery leaves eaten raw to wake up a sluggish appetite after a winter of cooked food.
• Because its carotenoids are vitamin A precursors that concentrate in the retina and macula, herbalists and naturopaths traditionally recommend cress among the leafy greens said to support eyesight.
• Its vitamin K content is a plain fact of composition; the vitamin is part of normal blood clotting, which is exactly why anyone on anticoagulant medication needs the caution below.
• Garden cress seeds are rich in insoluble fibre, and are traditionally stirred into food as a bulking, fibre-adding ingredient.

How to use it

Raw is the default

• Boiling leaches a large share of the glucosinolates — the compounds behind the peppery taste — straight into the cooking water. Eat cress raw whenever you can.
• If you want it cooked, sauté it fast in a pan or steam it in a splash of water, then use that water in the dish.
• Rinse in cold water and spin or pat dry; dressing slides off wet leaves.

Everyday preparations

• Mixed salad: a generous handful per person, with the seeds scattered over and a grind of black, white and red pepper. Dress simply with oil and vinegar or lemon juice, and serve at once.
• Chopped into mash: stir a couple of handfuls, finely chopped, into hot mashed potato off the heat — the residual warmth is enough to soften it.
• Sandwich greens: a thick layer in place of lettuce, with anything rich — cheese, egg, cold roast meat.
• Sauce for fish or meat: blitz the leaves into a warm cream or stock base, off the boil, so the colour stays green.
• Smoothie: a small handful to two pieces of fruit — watercress with apple and kiwi, with pear and melon, or with pineapple. Drink immediately.
• Soup and gazpacho: hot in winter with butter-fried potato, leek, a dash of cream and chicken or vegetable stock; the same base chilled in summer. Add the cress in the last minute of cooking.
• Pesto: fresh basil, cress, grated parmesan and olive oil, blended raw — excellent on pasta and hot potatoes.
• Seasoning: a last-minute handful over roast poultry, as you would use parsley.

Frequently Asked Questions

The one thing to remember: buy cultivated cress, eat it raw or barely cooked, and use it within two or three days.

Can I pick watercress from a stream near me?

It is not recommended. Watercress accumulates pollutants from the water it grows in, and toxic doses may be reached in a spot whose upstream history you do not know. Cultivated bunches, or garden cress grown indoors, are the safe route.

Why is raw better than cooked?

Boiling leaches a significant amount of glucosinolates out of the leaves and into the cooking water. Eating cress raw keeps them. If you prefer it cooked, sauté it quickly or steam it in a small amount of water and use that water in the dish.

Who should avoid watercress?

Anyone at risk of urinary lithiasis, because cress is extremely high in oxalates and such people should reduce oxalate-rich foods. People on anticoagulant medication should keep intake moderate and steady, since cress is rich in vitamin K. If in doubt, ask your physician or pharmacist.

What are cress seeds used for?

Garden cress seeds are edible and are an integral part of Indian cooking. Their husk and endosperm carry omega-3 fatty acids, protein and minerals, plus a high proportion of insoluble fibre. In traditional Indian use they are also credited with drying, water-shifting and restorative qualities.

What is the difference between watercress and garden cress?

Watercress, Nasturtium officinale, grows directly in water and gives tender juicy leaves from mid-spring to mid-autumn. Garden cress, Lepidium sativum, is sown on damp compost or cotton wool indoors all year round and gives tiny, very spicy leaves that are best eaten young.

This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.