Creamy Zucchini Soup
Silky blended zucchini soup with garlic, Parmesan, a splash of cream and fresh basil. It simmers in 20 minutes and keeps its bright green color.
- Prep10 min
- Cook20 min
- Total30 min
- Servings4
- Net carbs*8.5 g
- LevelEasy
When the garden or the farmers market hands you more zucchini than you can use, this soup is the answer. The squash simmers with onion and garlic in chicken broth, then gets blended with cream and Parmesan until it is smooth and velvety. Fresh basil and a squeeze of lemon keep it tasting light. Serve it hot in fall or chilled on a summer afternoon.
The trick to a vivid green soup is short cooking. Zucchini needs only about 10 minutes at a simmer to turn tender. Past that point it dulls to an olive color and starts to taste flat. Pull the pot off the heat as soon as a knife slides through a piece, then blend right away.
Ingredients
Makes About 6 cups (1 1/2 cups per serving). Tap an item to check it off.
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- Immersion blender or countertop blender
- Ladle
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 4 minutes, stirring, until soft and clear but not browned.
- Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the zucchini, broth, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, just until the zucchini is tender when pierced with a knife.
- Take the pot off the heat. Add the basil and blend with an immersion blender until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the cream, Parmesan and lemon juice. Warm over low heat for 2 minutes without boiling, then taste for salt.
- Ladle into bowls and finish with a little extra Parmesan and black pepper.
Estimated nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240
- Total carbs
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 2.5 g
- Net carbs
- 8.5 g
- Protein
- 8.9 g
- Fat
- 19 g
*These are estimates, calculated from the ingredient weights above and USDA FoodData Central data, divided by 4 servings. Net carbs = total carbs minus fiber. Values vary with brands, quantities, ingredient swaps and how you portion the dish. How we estimate nutrition.
Kitchen tips
- If you use a countertop blender, fill it only halfway and hold the lid down with a folded towel. Hot soup expands as it blends.
- For a thicker soup, use 2 1/2 cups broth instead of 3.
Substitutions
- Chicken broth → water plus 1 extra tablespoon butter Makes the soup vegetarian. Flavor is milder; carbs stay about the same.
- Heavy cream → canned coconut milk Same amount. Slightly sweet and nutty; carbs stay about the same.
- Basil → fresh parsley Same amount. More grassy, less sweet.
Swaps change the nutrition estimate shown above.
Storage and reheating
- Fridge
- Airtight container, up to 4 days.
- Freezer
- Freeze before adding the cream and Parmesan, up to 3 months. Stir them in after reheating so the soup stays smooth.
- Reheat
- Warm in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often. Do not let it boil, or the cream can separate.
Questions cooks ask
Can I serve it cold?
Yes. Chill it at least 4 hours and add an extra squeeze of lemon, since cold dulls the flavor.
