Description
Creamy zucchini soup delivers summer garden freshness with silky smooth textures. Rich herb-infused broth promises comfort and nourishment for hungry souls seeking simple seasonal elegance.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups (950 ml) vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 2 medium-sized zucchini, chopped (approximately 6 cups or 900 g)
- 2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 ½ cups (170 g) shredded cheddar cheese (can omit for vegan recipe)
- ½ onion, chopped
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk (can omit or replace with nondairy milk for vegan recipe)
- 2 tbsps olive oil or butter
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté Foundation: In a large pot, warm olive oil or butter over medium heat, gently sweating diced onions until they become translucent and release a delicate aroma.
- Build Flavor Base: Add chopped potatoes, zucchini, thyme, oregano, and paprika to the pot. Pour in broth and elevate heat to initiate a robust boil, allowing herbs to infuse their essence into the liquid.
- Simmer and Tenderize: Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, allowing ingredients to meld and soften for 20 minutes. Verify potato tenderness by easily piercing with a fork, ensuring complete vegetable integration.
- Smooth Transformation: Transfer the mixture in batches to a blender, processing until achieving a luxuriously smooth, velvety purée that eliminates any textural irregularities.
- Final Refinement: Return the silky soup to the pot, reheating gently. Introduce milk and gradually fold in shredded cheese, stirring continuously until dairy components melt into a creamy, harmonious blend.
- Season and Serve: Conduct a final flavor assessment, adjusting salt and pepper to elevate the soup’s nuanced profile. Ladle into warm bowls, presenting a comforting and elegant culinary creation.
Notes
- Optimize Vegetable Prep: Dice onions, potatoes, and zucchini uniformly to ensure even cooking and consistent texture throughout the soup.
- Master Herb Infusion: Crush dried herbs between your fingers before adding to release maximum flavor and aromatic compounds into the soup base.
- Blending Technique: Cool soup slightly before blending to prevent steam pressure buildup and potential splattering, ensuring smooth and safe puréeing.
- Cheese Melting Strategy: Add cheese gradually and stir continuously to prevent clumping and achieve a silky, creamy consistency without separating dairy components.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg