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Zucchini soup is a light, healthy, refreshing start to a meal. It also makes a great light lunch or dinner. As an added bonus, this soup is vegan, gluten, and dairy free. I was first introduced to zucchini soup, and pureed vegetable soups in general, when I was serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Austria. Sometimes we would eat with members of the congregation. Often a simple vegetable soup would be served as the first course. I came to really love these soups, and zucchini soup was one that caught me by surprise.
Zucchini can be a controversial vegetable. It can be hard to get right. However, when pureed into a light soup, some of the problems with other zucchini preparations disappear.
For instance, have you ever had soggy sauteed zucchini? You probably have. I find this very unpleasant, but soup solves this problem. It’s all blended together into a liquid, so sogginess is not even a factor. In fact, we want our zucchini to be extremely soft before we blend it so that we end up with a smooth, silky soup.
So, grab all that zucchini out of your garden and let’s make some soup!
P.S. Welcome to SOUP MONTH 2023!!!!!! I will publish four delicious soup recipes during the month of September. COZINESS INCOMING!
Ingredients
The ingredients for this soup could not be simpler. They are:
- 1 medium onion
- Garlic
- 2 pounds of zucchini – about 4 small to medium zucchini. Be sure to wash your zucchini really well, as dirt likes to stick to it.
- Vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water – using water produces the most visually appealing soup. The color turns out greener.
- Salt
- Pepper
- Lemon
Equipment Needed
The only pieces of equipment you’ll need are:
- A medium pot
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Blender- either a countertop blender or an immersion blender. I prefer a countertop blender because it gets the soup smoother. Not to mention it’s faster.
- A ladle
How To Make Zucchini Soup
- First, dice an onion and sauté it over medium heat with 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil.
- While the onion is going, mince the garlic and cut your washed zucchini in half lengthwise, and then slice it in to half moon slices about 1/4 inch thick.
- Add the zucchini and garlic to the pot, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper at this stage.
- Add the water. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover with a lid and simmer the vegetables for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until very soft.
- Using a ladle, transfer the soup to a blender. Blend until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender.
- Transfer the pureed soup back to the pot. Add salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice.
- Enjoy! You could also garnish this soup with diced fresh zucchini, croutons, oyster crackers, or anything else you’d like.
How To Store Zucchini Soup
You can store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days. You can also pour the soup into a freezer bag, push the air out, seal it, and freeze zucchini soup for up to 3 months.
More Soup Recipes
You might also want to check out these recipes from last year’s soup month.
Leave Me A Comment!
I want to hear from you! Have you ever had zucchini soup? What other soups do you love? I want to hear all about it.
Happy Cooking!
Carli
Zucchini Soup
Equipment
- 1 medium pot
- 1 cutting board
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 ladle
- 1 blender countertop or immersion
Ingredients
- 2-3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 pounds zucchini cut into 1/4 inch half moon slices
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, less if using reconstituted lemon juice plus more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your pot over medium heat. While the pot is heating up, dice your onion.
- Add the olive oil to the pot, followed by the onion. Add a pinch of salt, and sweat the onions while you slice the zucchini.
- Cut the ends off of your washed zucchini, then slice them in half lengthwise. Slice each half into half moon shaped pieces about 1/4 inch thick. Add the zucchini to the pot.
- Mince the garlic and add it to the pot. Stir and add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Cook the vegetables over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Don't worry if the zucchini gets mushy. That's a good thing in this recipe.
- Add the water to the vegetables, and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes with the lid on, or until all of the veggies are very soft.
- Using a ladle, carefully transfer the soup to a blender. I prefer to do this in a countertop blender, as it yields a smoother soup. If your blender is too small for all the soup, blend in two batches. Also, do not place your hand on top of the blender lid while blending. You could get a very bad burn. Place the lid on the blender and blend for about 30 seconds, or until smooth.
- Pour the soup back into the pot. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Squeeze in about 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice (feel free to eyeball it). Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve with or without garnishes, and enjoy!
Notes
- You can also use an immersion blender directly in the pot. Also, if your countertop blender lid has a hole for a tamper, or a vent in it, cover that with a towel, but not with your hand. That’s a silly way to get a burn.Â
- Fresh lemon juice is preferred here, but about half the amount of reconstituted lemon juice will work too.Â
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