Light Silky Zucchini Soup (Printable Version)

Light summer squash soup with fresh herbs and lemon. Silky, refreshing, and perfect for warm weather dining.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 4 medium zucchinis (about 1.75 pounds), sliced
05 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
06 - 1 stalk celery, chopped

→ Liquids

07 - 4 cups vegetable broth
08 - 1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut milk, optional

→ Herbs and Seasoning

09 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
11 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
13 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
14 - Zest of 1/2 lemon

→ Garnish

15 - Extra fresh herbs, finely chopped
16 - Drizzle of olive oil or swirl of cream

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and celery, sauté for 4 minutes until softened and translucent.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent browning.
03 - Stir in sliced zucchini and diced potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 15 minutes until vegetables are very tender and easily pierced with a fork.
05 - Remove pot from heat. Add fresh parsley, basil, thyme, and lemon zest, stirring to distribute evenly throughout the soup.
06 - Using an immersion blender, purée the soup directly in the pot until smooth and silky. Alternatively, carefully transfer soup in batches to a blender and purée until completely smooth.
07 - Stir in heavy cream or coconut milk if using. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Reheat gently over low heat if necessary. Ladle into bowls and serve hot or chilled, garnished with fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil or cream swirl.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like summer in a bowl without requiring hours of work or complicated techniques.
  • The soup works warm on cool mornings or chilled on days when you don't want to turn on the stove.
  • It's the kind of recipe that actually improves when you use whatever herbs you have growing nearby.
02 -
  • Immersion blenders make this easy, but a regular blender works fine if you let the soup cool slightly first and blend in smaller batches to avoid hot liquid explosions.
  • The potato is doing invisible work here—it's what makes the soup creamy and luxurious even without cream, so don't skip it thinking you're simplifying.
03 -
  • Make extra and freeze it in portions—this soup defrosts beautifully and tastes just as good weeks later as it did fresh.
  • If your soup breaks or separates after blending, add a splash of cold broth and blend gently again, and it'll come back together.
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