This Is the Healthiest Vegetable According to the CDC — Here’s How to Use It

Crisp and peppery, watercress is a pungent leafy green that tastes great in salads, stir-fries, and other dishes. Better yet, eating it can make you feel great. 

Last year, watercress was named the healthiest vegetable by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In a ranking of “powerhouse fruits and vegetables” that evaluated produce for its inclusion of 17 nutrients that are strongly associated with disease risk, the CDC gave watercress a nutrient-density score of 100 out of 100. (A nutrient-density score refers to the amount of nutrients that a food contains compared to its calorie content.) Watercress was the only vegetable or fruit to earn a perfect score.

This leafy green contains about four calories per cup and is particularly rich in vitamin K, which supports bone health and helps prevent blood clotting. It is also a good source of vitamin C, which has been linked to better immune function, and heart-healthy nutrients like magnesium, calcium, and potassium.

Here’s everything to know about this delicious and nutritious vegetable. 

What is watercress? 

Watercress is a dark green leafy vegetable with round, tender leaves and crisp, hollow stems that grows rapidly in shallow water and rushing streams. Technically, it is a semi-aquatic plant and a member of the mustard family, which includes cabbage and broccoli. It can be grown as a microgreen or a full-sized plant. 

How to enjoy watercress

Like other leafy greens, watercress can be eaten raw or cooked. Its vibrant color, natural salinity, and pungent, peppery flavor make it stand out from the veggie pack. Less lemony than arugula, with an earthiness and zing all its own, watercress adds mustardy brightness and crunch to salads, either on its own or with other greens and lettuces. It is also a great companion to citrus. Try it in a next-level BLT sandwich, or sub it out in recipes that call for spinach, mustard greens, or Swiss chard.

Chef Ryan Pera of Coltivare in Houston recommends pairing watercress with seared meats. “The sharp flavor cuts through the fattiness of the meat nicely. We’ve had it on many spring seasonal menu items at Coltivare, including paired with our lamb steak with a riff on a classic French watercress sauce,” says Pera.

Chef Oscar Amador of soon-to-open La Loba in Seattle suggests using watercress in weeknight dishes. “For a quick stir-fry, I substitute watercress for more common greens. Its flavor softens when cooked but still provides a hint of pepperiness that pairs well with garlic, ginger, and soy,” he says. “I’ve also experimented with watercress pesto over pasta — it’s an unexpected but delightful alternative to basil-based versions.”

In the summer, he blends it into a refreshing chilled avocado gazpacho soup, which is also a great use of slightly wilted watercress. Try it in a Chilled English Pea Soup, Zucchini and Watercress Soup, or Watercress Soup with Pickled Cucumbers. 

How to buy and store watercress 

Wild watercress is harvested from April to October, but you can find it year-round at the supermarket. Since watercress grows in water, it is preferable to purchase it with its stems submerged in water, as you might find with a bouquet of flowers. However, you also will find watercress in packages in the produce section. 

“Because watercress is very perishable, I recommend buying fresh, local watercress and storing it in a container with cold water, leaves above the water‚ or wrapped in a damp paper towel in an airtight bag” to keep is crisp and green, says Amador. Keep it away from the back of the fridge to prevent cold damage. Use watercress as quickly as possible, as it will only stay crisp for a few days at best.

If you want to revive fresh watercress that has wilted, you can try plunging it into a cold ice bath for about 20 to 30 seconds.

Finally, make sure to rinse watercress thoroughly before using it. Because it’s grown in or near bodies of water, it’s at risk of contamination from pathogens like e.Coli. 

Follow this guidance, and you’ll find that watercress is a delicious way to get your greens.