Description
This Creamy Zucchini Soup is a comforting and nutritious dish perfect for any season. Made with fresh zucchinis, aromatic garlic and onions, and blended to a velvety smooth texture with cream and milk, it offers a luscious balance of flavors. Whether served hot or at room temperature, garnished with a swirl of cream and parmesan, it’s an easy-to-make and satisfying soup ideal for light lunches or starter courses.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large onion, chopped (brown, yellow, or white)
- 1 kg / 2 lb zucchinis, cut into 1.5cm / 3/5” slices, larger ones halved
- 3 cups / 750 ml vegetable or chicken broth, preferably salt reduced
- 1 cup / 250 ml water
- 3/4 cup / 185 ml heavy/thickened cream (or light cream or a knob of butter)
- 1 cup / 250 ml milk, any fat % (or more cream)
Garnish
- Cream, for swirling
- Finely shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Saute Aromatics: Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and chopped onions, cooking for 3 to 4 minutes until they become light golden brown and fragrant.
- Add Zucchinis and Liquids: Stir in the sliced zucchinis, vegetable or chicken broth, and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Optionally, skim off any brown foam that forms on the surface during cooking.
- Simmer Until Soft: Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the zucchinis are very soft and easily pierced with a fork.
- Blend the Soup: Using a stick blender, carefully blend the soup until smooth. If using a countertop blender, allow the soup to cool slightly and blend in batches to avoid spills due to heat expansion.
- Add Dairy and Season: Stir in the cream and milk until fully incorporated. Season the soup with salt and pepper according to taste.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with a swirl of cream, a pinch of shredded parmesan, and additional freshly ground black pepper if desired. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes
- Zucchinis are also known as courgettes in the UK and parts of Europe. For this recipe, use about 6 medium zucchinis (~20cm/8” long, 4cm/1.5” wide), or 8 small ones, or 4 to 5 large zucchinis.
- The cream enriches the soup, but you can substitute with low-fat cream, crème fraîche, mascarpone, or even a knob of butter to reduce richness.
- If using a blender instead of a stick blender, be sure to cool the soup slightly before blending to prevent hot soup from splattering and causing burns.
- The nutrition values are based on 5 servings and exclude garnishes like cream swirl and parmesan cheese. Omitting cream reduces calories significantly to about 98 per serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 300 ml)
- Calories: 156
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
