Soup weather is on its way, and we just cooked up our first pot of the fall. This soup is so creamy and silky - it tastes like it's full of cream. But it doesn't have a drop of dairy, except for a little butter, and olive oil can be substituted for the butter to make it vegan. It's also double-duty: it uses up a lot of the late-season zucchini or squash that may still be plaguing you.
If you are using very mature zucchini, its peel may give this a slightly bitter aftertaste, which we enjoy, but others may not. Peel the zucchini for a sweeter (and paler) soup.
Zucchini Garlic Soup
1 1/2 quarts
4 tablespoons butter
1 white onion, sliced
8-9 large cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
4 medium zucchini, about 1 1/2 pounds
4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
Salt and pepper
Melt the butter in a heavy 4-quart pot over medium heat. When it foams, add the sliced garlic and onions and cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent. Keep the heat low enough that the garlic doesn't brown; you want everything to sweat.
When the onions are soft, add the zucchini and cook until soft. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer at a low heat for about 45 minutes.
Let cool slightly, then blend with an immersion blender until creamy, or transfer to a standing blender to puree. Be very careful if you use the latter; only fill the blender half full with each batch, and hold the lid down tightly with a towel.
Taste and season with ginger, salt and pepper. Like most soups, this is significantly better after a night in the refrigerator to let the flavors meld.
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That sounds delicious and a great way to use up zucchini, thanks for the recipe!!
view Sarah's profile
Finally a late-season recipe for zucchini that doesn't involve making bread!
view Jim of ChewOnThat's profile
Yum, yum, yum! I (and a few friends & relatives) will definitely use this recipe!
view pisceanchick's profile
also works exceeingly well with carrots. Although I'd leave out the garlic and onion (carrots are already so sweet), and put in a potato. The potato when pulverized gives the whole soup a great creamy texture. And the butter gives a bit of dairy flavor. and then garnish, of course, with dill. (carrot soup is best as soon as you make it, BTW).
Now that I think about it, I might try the zucchini soup with a 'tater thrown in to test creaminess quotient.
and of course, some pan fried croutons could not possibly hurt, right?
view 212gretchen's profile
I made this yesterday and it is fantastic! So yummy and so very simple to make.
view mizrobot's profile
One word of caution-- this takes a while to make. It is delicious though. I might add a dollop of plain yogurt or some heavy cream to increase the creaminess factor, just for fun.
view mayagirl's profile
you don't count butter as dairy? hmm.
recipe looks tasty, though!
view Barbara S's profile
i am cooking it right now, and it smells delicious!
view Kate320's profile
Just made this - incredible. Super easy, and the taste was surprisingly complex.
view B. Kate's profile
Great recipe. Made this using only fresh vegetables (not butter, made my own stock) and it was truly one of the best soups I made with a deep, complex taste and velvety texture.
I had just one small addition: I prefer a soup I can bite. So I took an extra Zucchini, Sliced it thinly (using a Mandolin), sauted it in little olive oil with salt and pepper until it got a little brown and added it to the final soup. It makes it more fun to eat and adds to the already great flavor.
view zvikico's profile