I recently made a trip to my parents’ house and they gifted me with many of their garden treasures. Among them was zucchini! I have never had good luck with zucchini here in town, as the vines always succumb to those evil squash vine borers, and so this is a real treat.
Squash pairs perfectly with basil, and it just so happened that my Holy basil plant was in real need of a trimming. Trimming the flowers and seed tops from basil plants keeps them producing nice leaves and keeps the shape of the plant small, which is my preference, since I grow basil in containers.
For this recipe, I just used an old standby, because I cooked it on a Sunday and who cares to get fussy on a Sunday? Not me, so the easy recipes prevail. And this one is super easy. This recipe does great in a pressure cooker, too, if you are looking to keep your kitchen from heating up in this oppressive summer heat. Just set it to cook at pressure for 10 minutes and you’ll have some souper fast food.
PrintSouper Simple Zucchini Soup
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Summer Squash
- Cuisine: Soup
Ingredients
3 to 4 Tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
4 to 6 cups of vegetable broth or water
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
2 pounds zucchini, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup basil, any variety (I used Holy basil this time)
salt
fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Warm olive oil over medium high heat and add onions and garlic when hot. Cook onions, garlic and celery seed for 10 to 15 minutes, until it begins to brown.
- Add zucchini and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 2 to 5 minutes, until the squash begins to soften slightly. Then add broth and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes or until squash is very soft.
- Remove from heat and add basil, then puree with a immersion blender or in batches using your blender.
Notes
Serve with a dollop of yogurt if desired. This recipe works well for any type of squash, although winter squashes may take more time to cook. Herbs are likewise interchangeable. If you use thyme, rosemary or oregano, you’ll probably want to reduce the amount to a tablespoon or so.