Potato-Watercress Soup With Pesto

• 4 medium-size red potatoes (1 pound)
• 10 cups stemmed watercress
• 1 1/2 cups plain lowfat yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups 1 percent milk
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 2 cups stemmed watercress
• 3/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. To make the soup, cook potatoes in boiling water until tender, about 30 minutes.
2. When cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and pass through a ricer.
3. Set aside.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
5. Add 8 cups of the watercress and blanch for 5 seconds.
6. Immediately drain and refresh under cold running water.
7. Drain and squeeze out excess water.
8. Place in a blender with the yogurt and blend until smooth.
9. Scrape into a bowl and whisk in the milk, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt and pepper to taste.
10. Coarsely chop the remaining 2 cups watercress and stir into the soup.
11. Refrigerate until chilled.
12. Meanwhile, to make the pesto, blanch the watercress as above.
13. Drain, squeeze out excess water and coarsely chop with a knife.
14. Place in a blender with the walnuts, garlic, olive oil and salt.
15. Blend until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down the sides of the jar.
16. Taste soup and add more salt if needed.
17. Ladle the soup among 4 bowls.
18. Place 2 teaspoons of the pesto in the center of each bowl and sprinkle the mustard seeds around it.
19. Serve immediately.

red potatoes, watercress, yogurt, percent milk, mustard, salt, freshly ground pepper, black mustard seeds, watercress, walnuts, clove garlic, olive oil, salt

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/4072 (may not work)