QUICK AND CREAMY ZUCCHINI SOUP
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, about 4 cups chopped
a pinch of Kosher salt
3-4 medium zucchini, about 6 cups, quartered lengthwise and sliced in 1/2 inch pieces
1 quart low sodium or unsalted chicken (or vegetable stock)
1 ½ teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt or to taste
2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
Optional toppings:
spiralized zucchini, roasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds for crunch, a light drizzle of heavy cream.
Make the soup:
In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat the butter and the oil until the butter is melted. Add the onions with the pinch of salt and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin and salt and cook for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and stock, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, partially cover, and cook until the zucchini is completely softened, about 15-18 minutes.
In a blender, in batches, blend the soup until very smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you could leave some of it chunky for texture. Return all of the soup to the pot and stir in the cream, if desired. Taste to see if you want to add more salt. This freezes well, or will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Makes 6 servings.
YUM!
LESSONS Learned:
1.
Find small or medium sized zucchini. If you have a garden, this a great way to use up some of the extra, but don’t use the ones that have grown to the size of a baseball bat—too stringy and too many tough seeds.
2.
Smokey cumin is what makes this soup so tasty. Start with the amount I suggest, and if you like, from there, up the amount by ¼ teaspoon increments.
3.
You can omit the butter and just use oil for sautéing the vegetables. And you can omit the cream as well at the end. But it’s just small amounts of each and
I think they are worthy additions. 