Cream of Zucchini Soup

I have to say that this is one of those instances when something ‘creamed’ doesn’t mean it actually has cream in it!  In fact, there is no fat in the basic soup, which makes it a delightfully light and nutritious choice for lunch or a first course.  If fat-free soups aren’t your thing, garnishing the soup can include a swirl of cream, a dollop of good extra virgin olive oil or yogurt…..that part’s up to you. My grandmother would make this soup for me often in the summer, and it’s one of the reasons I now grow zucchini in my own garden. Happily it works well if you are using frozen zucchini too, so if your zucchini squash plant is producing more than you can manage at the moment just flash freeze some cubes of it and you can make this soup anytime you’d like.

A seemingly nuclear zucchini plant in my garden this year will keep me in soup for many months……..I’m down to two plants this year but boy, have they already managed to keep me scrambling to keep up!  Needless to say there will be other zucchini recipes showing up on Timeless Gourmet as I enjoy the all-too-short New England growing season.

Ingredients for Cream of Zucchini Soup recipe: (serves 4)

• 4 cups cubed, unpeeled zucchini squash (about 1 very large zucchini)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into medium cubes
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or substitute 1 tablespoon fresh thyme)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper (plus more to taste)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt. the amount of salt will vary accoring to how salty your chicken stock is.  If using table salt use less initially.

Directions:

• Simply place all the ingredients together in a large soup pot, cover and bring to a low boil.
• Continue to cook, covered at a very low boil for 20 minutes, or until the cubes of potato are very soft.
• When everything is soft, remove from heat and allow to cool a bit before blending.
• I recommend using a ‘stick blender’ to process the soup, but you can also place the soup in batches in a blender or food processor.
• Blend until smooth – carefully since the soup will still be hot.
• Salt and pepper to final taste and serve.

Enjoy!  My favorite way to have this zucchini soup is simple with some nice crusty bread, but here are some other garnish ideas:

 Garnish ideas for Cream of Zucchini Soup:

• Grated raw zucchini
• Light cream swirl
• Fresh thyme leaves
• Minced chives
• Low-fat plain yogurt
• Diced bacon
• Sauteed mushrooms
• Croutons

 Freezing the Zucchini Soup:If you make an extra-large batch of this soup rest assured that it freezes well.  Leave an inch of head room in a freezer-proof container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and heat on medium low, stirring often.