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.

I love that coffee cake is so very adaptable – with a basic recipe for the coffee cake itself, an endless array of  variations is possible and seasonal berries make a tremendous addition.  Blueberry season is in full swing, and they work as nicely in coffee cake as they do in pancakes.  I can’t seem to make enough things for Rob with blueberries – he absolutely loves them and this coffee cake is a huge hit with him.  The crunchy streusel topping with coconut  and almonds is a perfect flavor combo with the fresh blueberries and it’s hard to not keep snacking on it all day long.  Aside from how delicious it is, another great thing about this coffee cake is how easy it is to make – it’s not temperamental. As a snacking cake it’s great but also fits the bill for breakfast, brunch, lunch or even dessert. 

Ingredients for Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe:  (serves 12)

For the Coconut-Almond Streusel Topping:

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup white sugar
• 1/8 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp.  cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shelled and skinned
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For the Blueberry Coffee Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups flour plus 1 tbsp.
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350° and grease an 8 inch square baking dish or removable bottom baking dish.

Streusel topping:

• Sift together the sugars, flour and cinnamon for the topping.
• Stir in the finely chopped coconut and almonds.
• Mix in the butter (with your hands) until everything is well combined.
• Set aside while making the cake.

Coffee Cake;

• Sift the flour (except for the additional tablespoon), baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together.  This will insure even distribution and even rising. Set aside while mixing the wet ingredients.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand-held mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
• Add eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar until fully combined.
• Mix in the milk until well combined.
• Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in thirds, mixing on low or by hand until well combined after each addition.
• Dust one cup of the  blueberries with the one tablespoon flour – which will keep them from falling to the bottom of the cake.
• Stir  the floured blueberries gently into the batter.
• Add the batter to the prepared baking pan, spreading evenly.
• Add the remaining cup of blueberries to the top of the batter.
• Sprinkle the prepared streusel topping evenly across the top of the cake.

Bake for 40 - 45 minutes in the 350°  oven.

Serve warm or let come to room temperature.  It is great leftover too – just store in the refrigerator and let come to room temperature or heat for several minutes in a 350° oven.

Enjoy!