One of the best winter salads is of watercress and peeled orange segments, dressed with orange juice and pepper. Add a drizzle of oil if you like, but no salt, which would spoil the hot sweetness of the flavours. Watercress and orange soup exploits the same partnership beautifully. Its elegantly thin consistency makes it a first course rather than a main course soup, but it tastes anything but thin.

2 large bunches of watercress, washed and trimmed

170 g (6 oz) onion, chopped

50 g (2 oz) butter

3 tbsp flour

1.1 litre (2 pints) chicken stock

1 medium orange

cream to taste

1. Finely chop the watercress, in a food processor if you like.

2. Melt the butter in a large pan and add the watercress and onion. Cover and cook slowly for 15 minutes.

3. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the flour, followed by the stock.

4. Season lightly and bring to the boil, stirring. Cover and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes. Stir in the finely grated rind of the orange and 3 tablespoons of orange juice.

5. Allow the soup to cool a little before pureeing it in a blender. Serve hot or cold with a little cream stirred in.