Cream of Zucchini Soup

This Cream of Zucchini Soup is something our parents have been making us for as long as we can remember. We don’t traditionally use heavy cream in our soups, but that doesn’t mean we don’t love a creamy soup! The secret ingredient? We add potatoes instead to achieve that luscious, thick, and creamy texture.

What stands out

Our family’s Cream of Zucchini Soup is so light, luscious, and thick, you would never guess that there’s no cream or dairy in it! This soup is so nutritious chock full of healthy veggies, and you can amp up the nutrition even more by adding in some spinach or kale. This soup is also a fantastic make-ahead or meal-prep recipe. We love making a big batch and then keeping some in the fridge for the week and freezing individual portions for straightforward dinners on a busy night, without resorting to takeout.

How to Prepare Cream of Zucchini Soup

Start by using a sharp knife to chop up the onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, zucchini, potatoes, and garlic.

In a big pot on the stove set to medium-high heat, add to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and sauté the onions.

Add the carrots, celery, and bell pepper and stir. Then add the garlic and stir.

Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and then stir again.

Add the zucchini and potatoes.

Cover with enough water and then let it come up to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover it with a lid, and then let it cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the veggies are soft.

In the meantime cube the bread and then add it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Season the bread with salt, Italian seasoning, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Massage with your hands and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes or until golden.

Once the soup is done, use a stick blender or blender to blend the veggies and stock in 2 batches.

Pour soup back into the pot and taste for salt. Serve with the croutons and parsley on top and enjoy.

Kitchen tip

Don’t spend too much time dicing up the veggies for this Cream of Zucchini Soup. You do not need to dice anything finely or precisely, because everything will be puréed in the end.

Swaps

1. You can use any bread of choice to make these croutons, whatever you have such as rye, whole wheat a harvest loaf, or a baguette.
2. If you don’t have Italian seasoning you can use dry oregano instead.
3. Feel free to add in or swap the veggies in this Cream of Zucchini Soup for what you have: sweet potatoes, peas, kale or spinach would also be in this soup.
4. To save some time, you can use store bought croutons in this Cream of Zucchini Soup recipe as well.

Serve it with

• A beautiful side salad, such as our Simple Green Salad or High Protein Green Goddess Salad.
• A beautiful loaf of bread is perfection with this Cream of Zucchini Soup. Try our No Knead Peasant BreadNo Knead Gluten Free Bread or No Knead Focaccia.

Questions

Can we add other vegetables to this soup?

Yes, you can certainly experiment and add whatever veggies you have on hand to this Cream of Zucchini Soup. Spinach, kale, peas, or sweet potatoes would also be.

strong Can we freeze the soup?

Absolutely! This Cream of Zucchini Soup freezes well for up to 3 months. Just make sure to cool it completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

can we make this Cream of Zucchini Soup ahead of time?

You can certainly make this soup ahead and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to reheat and eat.

Can we add broth instead of water to this Cream of Zucchini Soup?

We used water here to keep it light, but you could also use chicken broth for some protein or vegetable broth for added flavor.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, roughly diced
• 2 carrots, roughly diced
• 1 rib celery, roughly diced
• 1 red bell pepper, roughly diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 5 small potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 3 teaspoons salt
• pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 5 cups hot water, or broth of choice

For the Croutons

• 5 slices bread, I used rye
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

Equipment

• Nakiri Knife
• Cutting Board
• Large Pot
• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper
• Stick Blender
• Blender

Method

1. Start by chopping up all your vegetables. You do not need to dice anything finely or precisely, because everything will be puréed in the end
2. In a big pot on the stove set to medium-high heat, add to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and sauté the onions.
3. Add the carrots, celery, and bell pepper and stir. Add the garlic and stir. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and stir again. Add the zucchini and potatoes.
4. Cover with enough water or broth of choice and let it come up to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and partially cover it with a lid and let it go for 25 to 30 minutes or until the veggies are soft.
5. In the meantime cube your bread of choice, add it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Season the bread with salt, Italian seasoning, and a drizzle of olive oil.
6. Massage with your hands and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes or until golden.
7. Once the soup is done, use a stick blender or blender to blend the veggies and stock in 2 batches.
8. Pour soup back in to the pot and taste for salt. Serve with the croutons and parsley on top and enjoy.