Can a handful of ingredients and 30 minutes give the best zucchini soup you have ever tried? Absolutely yes!
This thick, fresh, and delicious Italian-style soup is called a vellutata in Italian, which means silky, and once you have the first spoonful of it, you will instantly know why!
Jump to:
Oh, I wish it were zucchini season all year round!
If you've had a good look around my blog, you will have noticed that there are quite a few recipes featuring this ingredient [yes, and many chicken curries too... life is about balance!], and that is because there are so many ways it can be used [and because in Italy we practically live on it throughout summer].
This comforting soup is a perfect for lunch or dinner, and it can be served as a light starter, topped with some red pepper flakes or fresh dill, or as a main course with a nice warm slice of crusty bread topped with a dollop of garlic butter.
Now, if you have 30 minutes, four zucchini, and an immersion blender. it is definitely the time to try this absolutely delicious Italian soup.
Ingredients Zucchini Soup
- Zucchini: Fresh, young zucchini are best. Choose firm ones with shiny, non-wrinkly skin - these will taste best.
- Oil, Shallots, Garlic: The base of most soups. Olive oil can be swapped for a flavorless one, such as sunflower or vegetable oil, and shallots for any color of onions, while garlic is irreplaceable [but may be skipped if not liked].
- Vegetable Stock Cube: Or powder, as available.
- Cashew Nuts: These will give the creaminess and thick consistency to the soup. Zucchini is a very watery vegetable, so these thicken the soup without the need to add potatoes.
- Lemon Juice, Parsley, and Tarragon: This combination of flavors work well to keep this soup fresh, while still being thick and creamy.
How To Make Zucchini Soup?
- In a large saucepan add the oil and warm it up on medium heat; once warm, add the thinly sliced shallots and cloves of garlic, together with a pinch of salt, mix well and cook until the onion and garlic turn light golden brown.
- Next, add the chopped zucchini and sauté for a couple of minutes before adding a stock cube, cashew nuts, salt, and pepper and mix well; add enough cups of water to cover the vegetables in the large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer the soup on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
- Before blending, add some characteristic Italian seasoning, such as parsley and tarragon, and a squeeze of lemon juice for its vibrant flavor, then allow it to simmer for a couple more minutes on medium-high heat.
- To obtain a pureed soup, allow it to lightly cool down before adding it to a food processor or blending it with an immersion blender. Serve and enjoy!
People Also Ask [FAQs]
Creamy zucchini soup is made of oil, shallots or onions, garlic, zucchini, stock cube or powder, cashew nuts, lemon juice, and some herbs of choice, such as parley and tarragon, plus salt and pepper to taste.
Wash the zucchini under cool running water before chopping the top and bottom; for this soup, the chunks can be medium-large, so you can just cut the zucchini length-wise once and then chop in ½ inch pieces. You do not need to be precise with how you cut your zucchini, as you ultimately will boil and blend them.
How to store creamy zucchini soup?
- In the fridge: You can store leftover zucchini soup in an airtight container for up to three days.
- In the freezer: You can freeze zucchini soup for up to three months.
Ingredients Top Tips:
- Fresh zucchini: always ensure you use zucchini that are fresh, as acidic zucchini can be harmful. Check that the summer squash is nice and firm, the skin bright and not wrinkly.
- Shallots: should you not have or like shallots, you can use onions instead; brown, white, or red onions will all work well.
- Fresh herbs: while I used dry parsley and tarragon for this recipe, should you have fresh herbs then use those instead. Feel free to add fresh basil, thyme, or a mixture of fresh herbs.
Tips and Tricks for Creamy Zucchini Soup
- Thickness: This Italian zucchini soup uses cashew nuts to obtain a nice creamy consistency once blended, as zucchini per se are quite watery vegetables. Should you need to swap this ingredient, then you can substitute it with half a cup of coconut milk, as this will offer it a nice creaminess. If you are not following a vegan diet, then adding some parmesan cheese, a dollop of sour cream, full fat plain natural yogurt, or heavy whipping cream when serving is also a great way of increasing its thickness; if you are going for either of these options ensure not to add too much, as zucchini are quite a delicate tasting vegetable and they would be overpowered.
- More Veggies: This soup tastes great as it is or with more vegetables in it. Great additions are celery, carrots, bell peppers [green peppers give a nice contrast], baby spinach, or potatoes. If going for beans [such as cannellini beans, white beans, or kidney beans], do not add the cashews, as these will thicken the soup once blended.
- Stock: if you do not use stock cubes, you can use a couple of cups vegetable broth or chicken broth instead (if you are not following a vegan diet). I would suggest going for traditional stock flavors rather than special versions (ie: added lemon or herbs) or beef stock, as these may overpower the taste of zucchini. If you have some homemade chicken broth, that is a good choice too.
- Spice it up: if you like your soup to have a bit of heat, then you can skip the Italian herbs and add some curry powder or cayenne pepper instead; add a quarter teaspoon once the onions are cooked and stir fry for 30 seconds before going on to the next step. Add one or two bay leaves when you add the water or broth, but remember to remove them before blending this easy soup. Lastly, serve the soup hot with a few red chili flakes for the ultimate hearty soup with a kick!
- Dutch oven: this great recipe can also be prepared in a Dutch oven and it is a great choice, as the thick bottom of these pans helps the heat spread in a more even way, all while holding the heat for longer.
- Serve it cold: looking for an easy way of serving a great summer lunch? There's no need to serve this soup hot, as cold it is as nice! Just serve it with a little lemon zest or juice for that extra zing, or season with some celery salt when preparing it.
This easy recipe is no doubt the best zucchini soup recipe, as it is tasty, ready in half an hour, and versatile... the ultimate comfort food! No more looking for soup recipes, or dinner recipes, this covers you for both.
Eat it with a slice of warm crusty bread, top it with a splash of cream or add an extra touch of lemon... it will always be glorious!
WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you have any questions, please get in touch and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. If you gave it a go and you also love this soup, please comment and rate the recipe card below... we would really appreciate it!
🥗 More Quick Recipes This Way!
Recipe
Creamy Zucchini Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil or Vegetable or Sunflower oil
- 1 Medium Shallot or any color Onion
- 1 Garlic Clove peeled and chopped
- 4 Zucchini medium size
- 1 Vegetable Stock Cube or equivalent in powder
- 1 oz Cashew Nuts
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Parsley
- 1 tablespoon Tarragon
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot that is deep and wide add the olive oil and warm it up on medium heat; once warm, add the thinly sliced shallots and cloves of garlic, together with a pinch of salt, then mix well and cook until golden and soft on low heat.
- Allow the onions to soften and turn a light golden-brown color.
- Once the onions are soft, add the chopped zucchini and sauté for a few minutes.
- Next, add the vegetable stock cube, the cashew nuts, salt, and black pepper to taste and mix well.
- Add enough cups of water to just cover the vegetables in the large pot, then bring to a light simmer and allow the zucchini soup to cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the zucchini are soft.
- Once the vegetables are soft, add the tarragon, parsley and the lemon juice; mix well and simmer for a further couple of minutes on medium heat.
- Before blending, allow the soup to lightly cool down; you can blend the soup with an immersion blender or in a food processor to the consistency preferred.
- Once blended, adjust the consistency of the soup by adding water - if desired, then bring back to a light boil for a couple of minutes.
- Serve with crusty bread, rice, some grated cheese, or garlic croutons and enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: Store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.
- Fresh zucchini: always ensure you use fresh zucchini, as acidic zucchini can be harmful. Check that the summer squash is nice and firm, the skin bright and not wrinkly.
- Added ingredients: You can add more vegetables to the soup, such as carrots, potatoes, bell peppers, celery, and baby spinach at the same time as the diced zucchini.
- Herbs: Fresh herbs can be used instead of dry ones, which can be amended too. Try adding some fresh basil or thyme!
Sharon
It was a tasty soup, even if I'm not a great fan of zucchini. Thank you very much for sharing your recipe; your blog is fantastic!
Elle
Thank you, Sharon! I hope this recipe makes you change your mind about zucchini!