This is the simplest recipe for zucchini soup or courgette soup. It is vegan, gluten-free, healthy, low calorie, and above all very delicious. Zucchini naturally lends a creamy texture to the soup but you can also add some soy cream (or milk cream) to make it creamier. I also love the strong earthy flavour and aroma that burnt garlic adds to the soup.
A cold weather saviour –
healthy and delicious zucchini soup!
It was nearly lunch time and I had to call a friend in India. I messaged him saying I will just step out, get myself a soup and then call him. Half an hour later he messaged asking if I got my lunch and I replied,
“it’s cooking”
- “but I thought, you were going to get one from a restaurant.”
“it was so cold, that I realised packing myself in layers to go out and then removing all those layers was more work.”
- “You defy all logic! How can cooking a soup from scratch be less work than just stepping out and buying yourself one!”
Well, with this easy breezy zucchini soup recipe, it does! The one-pot recipe is simple with just 10 ingredients and 30 mins to cook. This soup is ideal for days when you are looking for something simple, healthy, warm and delicious. A bowl of comfort is what this spells for me.
It was my first time making zucchini soup. Till this time, zucchini for me was more a salad and pasta vegetable, but it all changed with this soup. I love bottle gourd soup and I have cooked marrow before as I cook bottle gourd but zucchini, also known as courgette in many places, was always closer to a cucumber for me than gourd. I usually add it raw in salads or just lightly sauté for stir fry but Zucchini is a wonder vegetable. Raw, steamed or completely cooked like in this soup, it is perfect.
Did you know? Zucchini is 95% water! It is one of the healthiest and most alkaline vegetable that you should definitely add to your meals!
Health benefits of Zucchini include:
- Aids in Weight Loss: Zucchini has low calories and high dietary fibre. 1 cup zucchini has just 19 calories and 0 fat. The high fibre content means better digestion and faster fat burn. The high water content also helps in weight loss.
- Helps boost immunity: Zucchini is a rich source of Vitamin C, A, B, anti-oxidants and minerals like manganese, magnesium and potassium. The vitamins and essential minerals help boost immunity, protect against infections, and maintain overall wellbeing.
- Healthy heart: Zucchini is a rich source of Potassium which helps reduce blood pressure. The high water and fibre content also helps lower cholesterol to keep heart healthy.
Falling sick is not one of my favourite things, especially when I am all alone. When Sikander is not travelling, I might actually enjoy falling sick for a day or two and being pampered with him either working from home or coming back from office during lunch to bring me soup and check up on me :-).
But this time I didn’t have that luxury. I was out on Monday and the weather really took a turn for bad… by the time I got back home, I knew I was freezing or my head, hands and toes were. For the next three days I really relied on these simple soup recipes to nurse myself back to health:
If you like this recipe, please take a moment to rate it and/or leave your comments at the end of the blog. It will really encourage me to keep exploring, learning and improving.
Zucchini Soup with burnt garlic
Ingredients (1cup = 240ml; 1tbsp = 15ml; 1tsp = 5ml)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
- 1 green chilli chopped
- 1 small onion peeled and chopped
- 1 zucchini cut into cubes (with peel)*
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- Salt to taste
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 stalks chives for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a deep stock pot. Add bay leaf, garlic and green chillies.
- Sauté till the garlic starts to turn brown and some of it is slightly burnt.
- Add onions, zucchini, vegetable stock, salt and pepper.
- Cook covered for 10 minutes till the zucchini is soft and cooked.
- Remove from heat. Using a tong, discard the bayleaf.
- Blend the soup in the pot itself with a hand blender.
- Transfer to soup bowl. Add some fresh chives for garnish and/or add a swish of little olive oil. Enjoy hot.
Notes
- *Zucchini peel has lots of nutrition and fibre in it so I don’t peel it but if want a lighter colour to the soup and a more smoother texture, you might want to peel it.
- I use Olive oil for a vegan soup preparation, can easily be substituted with butter.
- I prefer blending the soup with a hand blender as it is easy, quick and mess free but if you want to use to a mixer, then wait for the soup to cool down a little and then transfer in small batches.
For more hearty soup recipes, click on the image below:
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Would love to start a conversation, share recipes, cooking experiences and food stories from India and around the world.
Thanks for sharing this easy, healthy soup recipe. Made with yellow zucchini and it tastes fabulous.