Watercress is a salad ingredient that can be used as part of a simple green salad or to garnish meals. It brings freshness and pepperiness when used raw but can also be a little bitter.
These are the flavours we need to recreate when looking for the best substitutes for watercress.
Our 5 Substitutes for Watercress
Ultimately, you can use any salad ingredients in place of watercress, in most cases. You might not get the same flavour as you would with watercress but they will work just fine. From lamb’s lettuce to sliced baby gem leaves, they’ll all work well in a recipe.
However, if you’re trying to replicate the peppery flavour profile of watercress then check out these 5 substitutes which are great for adding a similar flavour to dishes:
1) Rocket
Rocket, especially wild rocket that can easily be grown at home, is notoriously peppery. Some people even find it fiery. It is this peppery heat that makes it the perfect substitute for watercress.
Rocket leaves also have the benefit of having the same appearance and even a similar texture to watercress. It’s also incredibly easy to get hold of in the supermarket. This is why rocket has to take the top spot as a substitute for watercress.
This is a Simple Swap
As rocket and watercress are so similar, in both taste and appearance, this is a direct swap where quantities do not need to be adjusted.
2) Nasturtium Leaves
Admittedly, nasturtium leaves are unlikely to be an ingredient you have just lying around at home. But, as it works so well as a substitute for watercress it has to be included in this list.
There is also a chance you’re growing edible flowers in your garden. Nasturtiums are particularly easy to grow after all.
Nasturtium leaves might look dainty but they pack a huge peppery flavour capable of replicating the pepperiness of watercress.
Use Sparingly
You won’t want to replace your entire watercress requirements with nasturtium leaves. They’re both hard to come by, expensive if you buy them and also pack a punch.
3) Radish Tops
You might not realise that radish tops and watercress are part of the same plant family which is why radish tops make for a great substitute for watercress. They’re peppery, bitter and green.
Some Radish Tops are Furry
Depending on the variety of radishes, some have fuzzy and furry tops which are not so pleasant to eat in a salad. You can soften the furry edges by cooking radish tops.
4) Endive or Chicory
Endive (or chicory) doesn’t have the same level of pepper that watercress has but it has a particularly bitter flavour which can take on many of the dressings that are often used with watercress.
Endive can be served both raw or cooked and works particularly well broken into whole leaves and tossed into a mixed green salad.
Use Punchy Dressings
Endive can withstand some punchy salad dressings so go bold when using it. A reduced balsamic vinegar sauce or blue cheese dressing will both work wonders here.
5) Dandelion Greens
If you live near open green spaces then dandelion greens can certainly be easy to get hold of at certain times of the year. They’re a little more subtle than watercress but still have peppery notes.
They are also similar in appearance to watercress and can be used in both cooked and raw dishes.
Clean Foraged Green Thoroughly
As with all foraged goods, make sure you give foraged dandelion greens a good soak and a thorough clean to remove any bugs and animal matter before using them in a salad.
Other Substitutes for Watercress
Some of the above substitutes for watercress are a little quirky and alternative. You might not have access to nasturtium leaves or feel up to foraging for dandelion greens.
If this is you, then these far more abundant options might be more suited to your needs. They won’t be quite as flavoursome as watercress but will work just fine as a swap:
- Any Leafy Salad Greens – Ultimately, if you’re using watercress in a salad then you can simply swap it out for any leafy salad green. You could try using lettuce, lambs lettuce, butterhead, mizuna, mibuna and so on…
- Kale – Although kale won’t work so well in salads and it doesn’t have that peppery flavour of watercress, it can still be used in cooked dishes such as tarts and quiches.
- Spinach – If you’re really struggling to find a substitute then spinach will work just fine. It’s slightly bitter but far from peppery. However, if it’s greenery you’re after then spinach will deliver easily on this.
Summary
When looking for the best substitutes for watercress, you need to find something that is peppery, bitter and green. Rocket is probably the best substitute you can use if can’t find watercress. It looks like watercress, has the same peppery flavour and is easy to get hold of.