Healthy Watercress Recipes

Avocados, radishes and scallions top this watercress and radicchio salad recipe with a fish-sauce-spiked dressing to make a vibrant spring salad. Consider shaking up some extra dressing to toss with your salads throughout the week.

This salad is bursting with flavor! Peppery watercress, salty pancetta, fruity apples and sugary-sweet pecans are served with crumbled goat cheese and an apple-honey vinaigrette.

With this easy tomato salad, more is more--so if you want, go wild with an outrageous selection of tomatoes. Look for big gnarly tomatoes, plum-shaped varieties, smooth or peach-fuzzed skins, zebra stripes, not to mention the miniatures at the summer farmers' market. All the visual variation means you'll get a range of flavors as well.

Watercress, a cruciferous vegetable, adds a zesty note--and welcome phytonutrients--to this enlightened version of an American classic.

Serve this simple salad of pickled ginger, watercress and scallions with grilled fish or chicken.

Rest roasted asparagus and tomatoes on a bed of watercress for a special touch. The fat-free dressing is a sweet-sour combination of fresh citrus juices, honey and Dijon mustard. Just as tasty warm or at room temperature, this salad works well when served as part of an easy buffet-style brunch.

Peppery watercress is nicely balanced by sweet garlic and tart vinegar in this quick saute.

The big flavor of sherry vinegar mixed with mustard, oil and garlic in the dressing for this healthy spinach salad recipe serves a dual purpose: marinade for the roasted celery root and a dressing for this side salad. Little rounds of crunchy Parmesan crisps look fancy, but are easy to make and add a perfect textural contrast and salty counterpart to the earthy and spicy greens and sweet-tart cranberries.

Light and fresh, this salad is full of nutritious fruits and vegetables.

Orange zest and juice are whisked with balsamic vinegar to dress this salad of arugula, oranges, romaine and red onion.

For this healthy appetizer, make sure you don't get paper-thin roast beef--it's harder to work with. Instead, ask at the deli counter for medium-thick slices (number 3 on most meat slicers).

Dress peppery watercress with a simple Asian-influenced vinaigrette for a delightful salad.

Poaching chicken breasts in a mixture of balsamic vinegar and chicken broth makes them unusually tender. The poaching liquid then becomes the base for a slightly sweet, intensely flavored dressing. Any leftover poaching liquid can be stored in the freezer to use later in sauce or dressing.

Here's a salad that's as beautiful as it is delicious. The spicy orange-ginger dressing is so good, you'll want to double (or triple) it to serve on your salad throughout the week.

Watercress adds a subtle peppery bite to a creamy sauce to serve with seafood and poultry.

Watercress and Belgian endive are topped with fresh corn kernels, grated egg and a simple lemon vinaigrette for a stunning first-course salad.

This fresh tasting salad is perfect for a lunch or light dinner. Sliced, lightly seared tuna is served over rice on a bed of watercress and cabbage, with crunchy jicama, radishes and red onion in a fresh ginger-sesame dressing.

Pepper-crusted steak, grill-charred vegetables and sesame-ginger dressing turn fresh salad greens into an exciting main course.

You may have spied giant pomelos at your grocery store; this healthy salad recipe is your chance to try the grapefruit-flavored beauty. This salad is packed with plenty of fresh herbs, peppery watercress, briny shrimp and green mango. Look for palm sugar, often sold in pod-like cakes, at Asian markets.

Fennel-crusted pork chops with a warm citrus-and-fennel salad is a terrific antidote to a dreary winter day. Serve with crusty whole-grain bread or brown rice.

Back in the 19th century, an English doctor named J.H. Salisbury prescribed beef for all manner of ailments. We think he'd love this healthy update of the ground-beef-and-onions classic that bears his name. The sautéed watercress is an excellent foil to the meaty glazed beef.

The grains of rice disappear into the yogurt as it's simmered and stirred, thickening the soup and giving it substance. Serve warm or chilled, depending on the weather.

This vibrant salad recipe contrasts flavor, texture and color--the velvety tuna steak is matched with crisp, peppery watercress and the floral tart-sweetness of blood oranges and aniseed. Blood oranges make the dish especially pretty--they're available December through March. If you can't find them, use any oranges that look good.

Crisp spring greens, crunchy carrots and cucumbers are tossed with plenty of fresh herbs (a signature of Vietnamese cuisine) and a savory lemongrass vinaigrette in this refreshing salad. Topped with slices of grilled, marinated flank steak that are reminiscent of the street food of Hanoi, this dish makes an excellent lunch or light supper. Add a few slices of crusty baguette (also a Vietnamese tradition) to finish the plate.