A Deliciously Tasty Zucchini Soup Recipe
If you are looking for a silky soup that is creamy, light, and full of flavor, it’s time to add zucchini soup to the rotation. This soup pairs beautifully with a salad for a light lunch or a starter to a larger meal. This can be a vegetarian or vegan dish if you have dietary preferences, and it is one of the best-tasting soups of the summer.
Why Make Zucchini Soup?
During zucchini season, if you are growing this vegetable, you will have lots of it at some point and need to find the best way to use it so that it doesn’t go bad. You can enhance the flavor with zucchini soup and encourage a healthy lunch or light dinner when the weather is warm. It also only takes a handful of ingredients and can be made in less than an hour.
The health benefits that come with zucchini soup is also another reason to enjoy this soup. It embodies all the vitamins and nutrients in these veggies and boosts your immune system against the infamous summer cold. You can also keep your electrolytes and other nutrients stocked up with this soup, which is important if you work a lot in the heat and could replenish these essentials in your system.
Needed Ingredients
When you are ready to build your zucchini soup, you will need the following ingredients to make a recipe that meets most dietary restrictions.
- Four to six zucchinis
- One tablespoon of minced garlic
- One diced yellow onion
- 1/2 cup of cashews
- Three cups of vegetable broth or stock
- Three cups of water
- One tablespoon of olive oil
- One lemon squeezed
- Fresh chopped parsley
- Fresh chopped dill
- Salt and pepper to taste
These ingredients are mostly found in your pantry, but if you need to head over to the market, you should be able to get everything you need. They are affordable, so you will not break the bank to make this soup.
If you have nut allergies that you need to consider, make sure to omit the cashews. They are unnecessary, although they give the soup a nice creamy texture and flavor if you do not have allergies. Remember that if you have dried herbs at home and don’t want to purchase fresh ones, they will work fine in this soup.
Begin Building Your Soup
Now that you have gathered your ingredients for the zucchini soup recipe, it is time to start your soup and get it cooking to enjoy it.
1. Prepare Your Veggies
Before you can start cooking your soup, you must prepare your veggies and ready to go. Wash up your zucchini with cold water and get them cut into slices. You can cut your zucchini down the middle and chop each side into equal pieces.
When you dice your onion, get it as small as possible so that it can cook down. Slice up your lemon, too, and pour the juice into a small bowl for later.
2. Start the Saute
Turn the burner to medium heat in your large soup pot, and add your olive oil. Once it warms up, toss in your minced garlic and diced onion, stirring them well and allowing them to cook for three or four minutes. You want them to cook down until your onions become translucent and get a little color on them.
3. Zucchini Time
Go ahead and add in your zucchini and cashews at this time, letting them cook for about two or three minutes. You may need to keep stirring the zucchini. If they try to stick to the pot, add more olive oil until they get tender.
4. Add Broth and Boil
Now that all the veggies have started to cook down, add salt, pepper, and dried herbs if you opted for them to the soup. It is also time to add the broth and water mix to the soup and turn up your burner to medium-high heat. The goal is to reach a steady boil for this soup before you finish it. This will take about five to seven minutes.
5. Pulse and Blend
After boiling your soup for three to five minutes, turn your burner to a simmer and grab your hand blender. You can add the soup to a standing blender if you do not have one. Blend the soup for several minutes, allowing it to reach that desired silky and creamy texture. You should not have any lumps in your soup.
If you used the hand blender, run your ladle through the soup to catch any lumps you missed. If you used a standing blender, look for lumps as you return the soup to the pot. You want it to be completely smooth.
6. Simmer and Serve
Now that the soup has been blended, let it simmer for about ten minutes and let the flavors blend. If you opted for fresh herbs, add them here, and give the soup a good mix.
After about ten minutes, go ahead and ladle your soup into bowls and turn off your burner so that the stove can cool. If you have toppings such as croutons, additional herbs, or hot sauce for those who want to liven up the soup, have that available for your guests.
Store Your Soup
Should you have any leftovers of this soup remaining, you can store it in the fridge safely for up to four days. You can put it in different containers to meal prep it and cook it as you want, or put it in one dish to reheat for a meal later.
If you prefer to have the soup in a few weeks, you can freeze it in a freezer-safe bag. Put your date on the bag and try to use it within the next three months. Before you heat, allow the soup to thaw a bit and reheat on the stovetop.
Make This Soup Anytime and Your Way
This soup is a great option year-round. You can enjoy it whenever there is zucchini in your market or if it is growing season in your area. If you want to boost the protein in it, you can make this soup your own, add a pound of shredded chicken, and make it a full meal.
It also pairs well with potatoes if you have some to use and want to make this dish a bit heartier. Double your water and dice up your potatoes, allowing them to cook evenly. Keep in mind that cooked potatoes do not freeze well, so if you opt for this, you can only store it for a few days in the fridge.