Zucchini soup makes use of one of the most bountiful crops of summer. (Tammy Ljungblad/Kansas City Star/TNS)

Zucchini soup makes use of one of the most bountiful crops of summer. (Tammy Ljungblad/Kansas City Star/TNS)

Zucchini gets the vegetable treatment in healthy soup

  • By Jill Wendholt Silva The Kansas City Star
  • Wednesday, July 6, 2016 1:30am
  • Life

By Jill Wendholt Silva

The Kansas City Star

Before those little green zucchinis start landing on your doorstep, be sure to stoke your recipe arsenal.

In the 1970s, a bumper crop of zucchini was most often turned into quick bread and considered just shy of health food. James Beard even shares a recipe in “Beard on Bread,” suggesting cooks could use whole-wheat flour in their breads, but they still contained prodigious amounts of sugar and vegetable oil.

Its seemingly bland, tofu-like qualities may have led American cooks to consider baking the squash into cakes, cookies and muffins. But in most countries zucchini is treated as a vegetable. The French showcase zucchini in ratatouille, a tasty vegetable stew.

The Star’s zucchini soup offers another way to celebrate the flavor of summer without adding sugar and fat. The creamy soup is added to a base of low-salt chicken broth and flavored with the heat of a jalapeno and the fresh, pungent licorice-like flavor of basil.

Shopping (growing) tip: The smaller the zucchini, the thinner the skin and the more tender the flesh. Look for zucchinis no longer than 8 inches in length. Mature zucchini can balloon to the size of a caveman’s club — a size to which my dad enjoyed growing them. But this is not the time to go for a produce entry in the Guinness World Records book. The flesh becomes too seedy and unappealingly fibrous.

Cooking tip: This recipe can be pureed in a food processor, but this might be a good excuse to buy an inexpensive immersion blender.

Zucchini soup

2 pounds small to medium zucchini (about 5 zucchini) stems trimmed but not peeled

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

½ medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

2 cloves garlic minced

1 (32-ounce) carton reduced-sodium chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Slice part of one zucchini into julienne strips to equal ½ cup strips, cutting each julienne strip about 1 to 1 ½ inches long. Set julienne strips aside to use as a garnish. Quarter all the remaining zucchini lengthwise, then cut into ½- to 1-inch cubes. Set zucchini cubes aside.

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion and carrot, and cook, stirring frequently about 3 to 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add jalapeno and garlic, and cook 1 minute.

Add broth and zucchini cubes. Season lightly with salt and generously with pepper. Heat until boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes or until zucchini is very tender.

Add basil and cook 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove soup from heat. Carefully, using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth. (Alternately, pour soup into a large bowl and allow soup to cool slightly; ladle soup into a blender, in batches as necessary. Remove center from blender cover or cover leaving partially ajar so steam releases. Blend soup until smooth. Return soup to the hot pot and repeat with remaining soup.) Reheat soup if necessary.

To serve, ladle into serving bowls. Top each serving with julienne strips of zucchini and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Makes 6 servings (total yield about 8 cups)

Per serving: 134 calories (39 percent from fat), 6 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), 4 milligrams cholesterol, 9 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams protein, 127 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

2025 Nissan Rogue Rock Creek edition (Provided by Nissan).
2025 Nissan Rogue has new Rock Creek edition

Enhanced outdoor capability is a boon for the more adventurous.

Futuristic Kona Limited Photo Provided By Hyundai Newsroom.
2025 Hyundai Kona Limited SUV Gets Roomier

All-Wheel Drive Option Add To All Trims

Children play and look up at a large whale figure hanging from the ceiling at the Imagine Children’s Museum (Olivia Vanni / The herald)
Fun for all ages: The best places for family adventures

From thrilling activities to relaxing outings, here’s where to make unforgettable family memories!

Everett P. Fog, 15, in front of an Everett mural along Colby Avenue on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Hello, Everett! No escape when your name is same as the town

Everett P. Fog, 15, sees and hears his first name wherever he goes. His middle name is also epic.

Jared Meads takes a breath after dunking in an ice bath in his back yard while his son Fallen, 5, reads off the water temperature on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Chill out: Dive into the cold plunge craze

Plungers say they get mental clarity and relief for ails in icy water in tubs, troughs and clubs.

Schack exhibit to highlight Camano Island watercolorists

“Four Decades of Friendship: John Ebner & John Ringen” will be on display Jan. 16 through Feb. 9.

XRT Trim Adds Rugged Features Designed For Light Off-Roading
Hyundai Introduces Smarter, More Capable Tucson Compact SUV For 2025

Innovative New Convenience And Safety Features Add Value

Sequoia photo provided by Toyota USA Newsroom
If Big Is Better, 2024 Toyota Sequoia Is Best

4WD Pro Hybrid With 3-Rows Elevates Full-Size

2025 Toyota Land Cruiser (Provided by Toyota).
2025 Toyota Land Cruiser revives its roots

After a 3-year hiatus, the go-anywhere SUV returns with a more adventurous vibe.

Enjoy the wilderness in the CX-50. Photo provided by Mazda USA Newsroom
2025 Mazda CX-50 Adds Hybrid Capability to Turbo Options

Line-Up Receives More Robust List Of Standard Equipment

Practical And Functional bZ4X basks in sunshine. Photo provided by Toyota Newsroom.
2024 bZ4X Puts Toyota Twist On All-Electric SUV’s

Modern Styling, Tech & All-Wheel Drive Highlight

Photo provided by Mazda USA Newsroom
2025 Mazda3 Turbo Premium Plus Hatch Delivers Value

Plus Functionality of AWD And G-Vectoring

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.