Soup two nights in a row? Yep! Tonight was a delicious one made with courgettes (zucchini). The soup was thick, creamy and brimmed full of flavor, which is what surprised me. Courgettes (zucchini) aren’t well-known for their flavor, and I was thinking this creation may have been a bland one.
The soup is quick and easy to make, vegan-friendly, dairy free and low in calories (100 per bowl). Not only that, each bowl is packed with over 3 portions of fruit/veg.
Courgettes (zucchini) are simmered in a stock, liquidized, then blended with seasonings and creamed coconut. It’s really that simple. Cumin and cinnamon are used to flavor this soup – you have to trust me when I tell you that you cannot taste the actual curry-ness or spiciness in the soup. However, if you like that kind of thing, you can of course add more to taste.
CREAM OF COURGETTE (ZUCCHINI) SOUP – VEGAN
Makes 4 bowls (serving 2-4)
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon groundnut (peanut) oil
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) courgettes (zucchini), cut into 1.25 cm (½ inch) chunks
- 750 ml (3 c) boiling water
- 8 g (1 teaspoon) Better than bouillon* vegetable stock paste
- 20 g (1 ⅓ tablespoons or 0.7 oz) creamed coconut block**
- 1-2 teaspoons ground cumin***, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon***, or to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
* Better than bouillon is a concentrated paste, which you add water to, to make a stock. If this is not available, use stock cubes or ready-made unsalted stock instead of water in step 3.
** Creamed coconut is a solid. It is sold in blocks and can be found in unrefrigerated grocery aisles. If this is unavailable, use a couple of splashes of coconut milk instead.
*** If you’re unsure about these spices, add less than the stated amount, taste the soup, then add more to taste.
Method
1. In a large saucepan, heat oil until hot, and then sauté onion and garlic until aromatic and translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add courgettes (zucchini) and stir for about 1-2 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add boiling water and stock paste. Bring to the boil, and simmer covered for 10-15 minutes or until the chunks of courgette (zucchini) are soft.
4. Take the pan off the heat. Liquidize the soup until smooth, either in batches in a liquidizer or using a hand (immersion) blender in the pan.
5. Stir in creamed coconut block until melted, then season with cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!
YUM, my mom makes awesome zucchini soup and I’m craving it now… bookmarked!
Oh my giddy aunt thats good! Thanks for sharing your experiment