So I came up with this zucchini soup recipe, that in my books, is a real winner! If you like a creamy, delicious, nutritious, super-filling soup, that’s also easy to make, then I think this recipe is for you! It’s also ridiculously high in fibre, is a good source of calcium, and loaded with antioxidants that help boost the body’s immune system. You just have to love the fact that this zucchini soup recipe is not only insanely healthy, but delightfully tasty too!
What’s in this zucchini soup recipe? We’ve got zucchini, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, lime juice and coconut cream. YUM YUM :). Spices and herbs include Italian seasoning, chilli pepper flakes, dill (dry), bay leaves, salt and fresh-ground black pepper. I like to top up this bowl of goodness with parsley, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and toasted bread cut into cute little squares. 🙂
Click the link below to watch the instructional video.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPTS8o_dRagMiPMRnxuJ_LA
The Ingredients in Creamy Zucchini Soup Recipe
The Soup Base Ingredients
Onions
Onions impart a lot of flavour, sweetness and texture to soup. Cook an onion on low heat for 5 minutes to soften it, then turn up the heat and cook it for another 5-10 minutes until it caramelizes. Caramelizing or browning, draws out the onion’s natural sweetness. The longer you cook the onion, the sweeter it becomes. Some onion bits will stick to the bottom of the pot, but have no fear, as these bits will enhance the flavour of the soup immensely!! What you want to do, is add a little butter or broth to deglaze the pot, or scrape the bottom to loosen all those delicious little bits.
Celery
Celery, like onion, is used to make soup and stew bases. Why is this vegetable such a must-have in soup stock? The reason is its high nitrate content. What does that have to do with making soup, you ask? The answer is, nitrates impart a great deal of flavour. They are the chemicals used to cure and preserve meats like bacon, ham or sausage. If you’ve eaten any of these meats, you can attest to the mouth watering, savoury flavour that comes from nitrates! Today however, it’s a given that eating meats high in nitrates can cause cancer. Fortunately, that doesn’t apply to eating vegetables high in nitrates, so go ahead, indulge with celery!!
Carrots
Along with onions and celery, carrots are also used to make the perfect soup stock. The Europeans call this holy trio, mirepoix, or the flavour base of onion, celery and carrot. Like love and marriage, “you can’t have one without the other.” 🙂
The Starring Vegetables in this Yummy Zucchini Soup Recipe
Zucchini
Zucchini is part of the summer squash family, and boasts nutrition super powers! It has a mild flavour which pairs well with a variety of herbs and seasonings. When cooked as part of a soup and then pureed, zucchini creates bulk and texture without having to use cream.
Potatoes
Adding a couple of potatoes to a soup recipe, is one of my favourite ways to boost the creaminess and thickness of a soup, without having to add a lot of butter or heavy whipping cream. Potatoes are also great when you’ve over-salted your soup. You can add a raw peeled potato into the soup to absorb the excess salt and remove it after 20 to 30 minutes.
And The Flavour Boosters in this Zucchini Soup Recipe
Garlic
A life without garlic is a bland one. So go ahead, live a little and throw those crushed garlic cloves into your soup recipes with abandon. LOL. Or, not, whatever floats your boat. I can’t live without garlic. At least I know I’m safe from vampires! 🙂
Chicken or Vegetable Broth
Sure, you can use water for your soup, but why not enhance your soup’s flavour and richness with broth?! Plus, it’s a healthier alternative to water, as broth adds nutrients that boost your immunity. If you opt for chicken broth, it’s good to know that chicken is high in tryptophan, which helps to produce serotonin, the feel-good, happy hormone. That’s why chicken soup makes us feel better!
Coconut Cream
A great dairy-free and low carb alternative that adds a rich and velvety texture to soup, and a subtle coconut flavour that complements many spices, without overpowering them. If you’re watching what you eat, coconut cream has less calories and fat than heavy cream does.
Lime Juice
A squeeze of lime adds the perfect amount of freshness to this zucchini soup recipe. Lime juice also reduces perceived saltiness and awakens the taste buds. Add lime after the cooking process is finished and the soup is off the heat, or add it into individual bowls.
Sea Salt & Fresh-Ground Black Pepper
The best way to elevate the taste of a soup or any dish, is to add the right amount of a good quality sea salt. Start with a 1/4 teaspoon, stir and taste. Add another 1/4 teaspoon, stir and taste. By adding sea salt in small amounts, you can hopefully avoid over-salting a dish.
A few grinds of the pepper mill add just a little bit of heat and round out the flavour profile of the soup. I also like the little tickle I get at the back of my throat. For a bigger tickle, grind the pepper mill a few more times. 🙂
THE HERB & SPICE BLEND
Chili Pepper Flakes
Also known as crushed red pepper flakes, this spice adds flavour, heat and complexity to a soup. I can’t handle too much heat, so I added just a pinch to my soup recipe. But if you’re like heat, add a few extra pinches to yours.
Italian Seasoning
Italian seasoning is a combination of several herbs, predominantly thyme, oregano, basil, marjoram and rosemary. Having these herbs already combined in one jar, makes it quick and easy to season your soup or recipe. Other common ingredients in Italian seasoning include parsley, garlic powder, sage, coriander, fennel seeds and crushed red pepper. For speed and ease, I combine the 5 most common herbs into one jar, rather than buying it, and then add other herbs as needed, into my recipes.
Dill(dry or fresh)
Dill and zucchini are a match made in heaven, and potatoes love a dusting of dill too! So of course, I had to sprinkle some into this zucchini soup recipe. Dill has a strong citrus-like flavour, so remember to use it sparingly.
Bay Leaves
Bay leaves are a common ingredient in soups and stews. They lend a subtle herbal and floral note to a dish. Many home cooks debate the necessity of bay leaves, claiming that they don’t really add much flavour to a dish. If you’re going to use one dry bay leaf, don’t expect much, 3 dry bay leafs are definitely overkill, but 2 leaves are just right, providing they’re not 5 years old. I have read somewhere, that the best flavour comes from 1 fresh bay leaf, should you be able to get your hands on one.
Parsley (optional, dry or fresh)
Parsley is a light-tasting herb that pairs well with many other herbs and cleanses the palette. Fresh parsley is also readily available and inexpensive. If you choose to add fresh parsley while cooking, do so in the last few minutes of simmering as it’s a delicate herb. Or, simply garnish the soup with fresh parsley… it looks so darn pretty! 🙂
Tips For A Delicious Creamy Zucchini Soup Recipe
- Cook the onion in olive oil and 1/2 tsp of salt on low heat for 5 minutes.After 5 minutes, add a little butter to sweeten the onion and cook for at least 5 more minutes.
- Add dried herbs & spices in the beginning of the cooking process, this is called toasting, and boosts the soup’s flavour.
- Stir the garlic for only 30 – 60 seconds to release the aroma. Avoid cooking garlic longer, as it can burn.
- Add parsley (dry or fresh) in the last 5 minutes of cooking time. (Optional)
- If you’re using fresh dill, add it closer to the endof the cooking process.
- Make sure to cut the potatoes into smaller pieces so they cook easily and quickly.
- Cook zucchini for a few minutesbefore adding the broth.
- Add lime juicewhen the soup is off the heat, a little at a time, and do a taste test.
- Use a blend of coconut cream and whole milk if you want a very subtle coconut flavour.
- Temper the cream mixturebefore you puree the soup, or, add the cream to the pureed soup when it is off the heat.
- Top the soup with freshly grated parmesan or aged white cheddar cheese, croutons and parsley.
I hope you enjoy this soup recipe as much as my dad and I did. If you do try this zucchini soup recipe, leave a comment below and tag me on instagram @delish_soups_by_georgia_spyra with a photo of your creation. I’d love to see it!
Ciao for now,
Georgia Spyra
Creamy Zucchini Soup
Equipment
- 1 soup pot with lid
- 1 chopping board
- 1 small food processor or dice by hand
- 1 chopping knife
- 1 paring knife
- 1 spatula
- 1 juicer or squeeze by hand
- 1 garlic press or dice by hand
- 1 set of measuring spoons
- 1 kettle
- 1 extra large 8 cup pyrex measuring cup or something to hold 6 cups of broth
- 1 whisk optional
- 1 vegetable peeler
- 1 set of bowls
- 1 set of measuring cups
Ingredients
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 carrots chopped into small pieces
- 2-3 celery stalks chop into thin slices
- 1 potato cut into 8 pieces, to thicken soup
- 4 cloves of garlic crushed or diced fine
- 2 large zucchini chopped into small cubes/pieces
- 6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth for vegetarian diets I use a powder form & make as needed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp butter unsalted ( may need a little more)
- ½ tsp salt to add when cooking the onion plus more to flavour soup
- ½ cup coconut cream or heavy cream or a a mix of both to add flavour, thicken and smooth the soup
- 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice to add the fresh taste of citrus
Herb & Spice Blends #1
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning blend (dry)
- 1 pinch chili pepper flakes or more if you like heat
- ½ tsp dill (dry)
Other spices etc. to add to soup
- 1 tsp salt or more to taste
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper or more to taste
- 2 pieces bay leaf
- 1 bunch parsley to garnish soup (optional)
- 1 handful toasted bread cut into pieces to garnish or top up the soup
- 2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan or aged white cheddar cheese to garnish or top up the soup
Instructions
- Wash and prep the zucchini, carrots, celery and potato.
- Dice the onion and crush the garlic.
- Saute the onion in 2 tbsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt for 5 minutes in a soup pot.
- Prep the chicken or vegetable broth. I boil water in a kettle, then add the water to a large 8 cup pyrex measuring cup, add powder broth as required and whisk to mix.
- After 5 minutes of cooking the onion, add 1/2 to 1 tsp of butter, melt it and add the herb/spice blend #1. Toast the herb/spice blend for 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic, stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute then drop in the celery and carrots and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Throw in the zucchini cubes and cook another 10 minutes.
- Pour in the broth, add the bay leaf, stir, cover and bring to a boil.
- Turn down to a simmer and cook for 15 – 20 minutes or until veggies are soft enough to puree.
- Remove from heat and take out the bay leaf. Puree the soup.
- Add the lime juice and blend.
- Temper the whipping cream, and pour into the soup. Blend till smooth.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Top with shredded parmesan cheese and croutons and serve immediately.