Growing up, this soup is regularly served for dinner at home.
Watercress sold in the past came with long hairy stems, quite different from the clean little bundles that are sold at the market now. As a child, I was always tasked to remove the hairy roots. The top leafy part is tender while the lower part is more fibrous. Sometimes, we used the lower ends to brew a herbal tea with honey dates, 西洋菜蜜枣水. In that case, it’s not necessary to remove the hairy roots.