This creamy, herbaceous Zucchini Soup recipe will leave you wondering, “Why haven’t I made zucchini into soup before?!” If you love thick and flavorful pureed veggie soups, add this one to your menu ASAP.
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Why You’ll Love This Creamy Zucchini Soup Recipe
Rich and Creamy—Without Heavy Cream. A lot of creamy veggie soups are thickened up with a generous pour of heavy cream, but this one gets its fabulously creamy consistency from pureed zucchini and beans, along with sour cream or Greek yogurt (which also adds a nice hit of tangy flavor).
So Much Flavor. So! On the subject of flavor, zucchini on its own tends to be a bit bland. To zhuzh it up, I add a squeeze of lemon and lots of fresh herbs. You can use any tender herbs you like, so between those and the zucchini, this is an excellent soup to help you use up your garden bounty.
Hearty and Satisfying. Pureed veggie soups are usually weak on the satisfaction front, but the beans and Greek yogurt give this zucchini soup more staying power. Add a salad (perhaps this Watermelon Salad?) and you’ve got a fantastic light summer dinner.
How to Make Zucchini Soup
The Ingredients
Unsalted Butter. You can use salted butter if that’s what you have in the fridge; just add a touch less kosher salt.
Yellow Onion and Garlic. A savory base of flavor.
Vegetable Broth or Chicken Broth. Use vegetable broth and this zucchini soup is vegetarian.
Zucchini. Use small or medium zucchini. Extra-large zucchini have more of a squash-y flavor, which isn’t always appetizing. Use them for Zucchini Banana Bread instead.
White Beans. Cannellini or great Northern are both good options. They puree smoothly to add body to our soup.
Baby Spinach. For color and some extra veggie goodness.
Tender Herbs. AKA anything with a soft, not woody, stem.
Grated Parmesan. Or nutritional yeast, which has a cheesy flavor without the dairy.
Lemon Juice. Use fresh lemon juice, which has much more dimension than flat, dull bottled lemon juice.
Plain Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream. For that creamy finishing touch.
The Directions
Sweat the Onion. Add the butter and oil to a Dutch oven; once the butter melts, cook the onion until it softens. Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper.
Add the Zucchini. Pour the broth into the pot and add the zucchini. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
Add the Next 3 Ingredients. Stir in the spinach until it wilts, then add the beans and herbs.
Puree. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it’s smooth.
Add Cheese and Lemon. Stir until the cheese melts into the soup.
Finish. Add the yogurt to a bowl and stir in a few spoonfuls of soup. Then, stir this back into the zucchini soup. Season to taste, garnish as desired, and ENJOY!
What to Serve with Zucchini Soup
Salad. The flavors in this Italian Chopped Salad would pair well with zucchini soup, or try this Orzo Pasta Salad for something more substantive.
Bread. You can’t go wrong! Try Homemade Dinner Rolls.
Sandwiches. For a heartier meal, pair this soup with a Caprese Sandwich.
Crunchy Things. Float some Roasted Chickpeas or croutons on top of your soup.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Use a Good Quality Broth. Yes, it can totally be store-bought broth, but some brands are better than others. Avoid the cheap canned varieties and bouillon cubes.
Blend in a Regular Blender for Silky-Smooth Soup. I love an immersion blender for making soup, but it does yield chunkier results—no matter how much you blend, it’s never perfectly smooth. If “perfectly smooth” is the goal, use a countertop blender and puree the soup in batches.
Adjust as Needed. Before ladling the soup into bowls, give it a taste. It’s easier to adjust the seasonings while the soup is still in the pot. The amount of salt you add with depend not only on your personal preferences, but also on the broth you use.
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Zucchini Soup
This easy creamy zucchini soup recipe is a great way to use zucchini and fresh herbs from the garden. It's thick, flavorful, and satisfying!
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 4serving
Calories 311kcal
Author Erin Clarke / Well Plated
Ingredients
2tablespoonsunsalted butter
1tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
1small yellow oniondiced
3garlic clovesminced
½teaspoonkosher saltplus additional to taste
¼teaspoonblack pepper
3 to 4cupsreduced-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth
2poundszucchiniends trimmed, halved lengthwise, cut ½-inch thick; about 4 small/medium
115-ounce can white beans, such as cannellini or great Northern, rinsed and drained
2cupsbaby spinachabout 2 ounces
½cupmixed chopped tender herbssuch as dill, basil, parsley, mint, and chives, plus extra for serving
¼cupgrated Parmesan or nutritional yeast
1tablespoonfresh lemon juiceplus additional to taste
½cupfull fat plain Greek yogurt or sour creamplus additional for serving
Instructions
In a Dutch oven or similar large pot, melt the butter with the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes—reduce the heat as needed so the onion doesn’t brown. Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper and let cook 30 seconds.
Add the zucchini and 3 cups of the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let simmer until the zucchini is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the spinach and let wilt.
Add the beans and tender herbs. With an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth (you can also carefully transfer it to a blender and puree in batches. Be careful not to overfill the blender, leave the pour hole open, and lay a towel over the top to guard from hot splatters).
Stir in the Parmesan and lemon juice. If the soup is thicker than you would like, add the remaining broth until you reach your desired consistency.
Place the Greek yogurt in a bowl and add a few spoonfuls of the soup to it; stir to combine, then return the mixture to the pot and stir until smooth (this keeps the Greek yogurt from curdling). Adjust the seasoning as desired—depending upon your broth, you may want a pinch or two of additional salt. Serve hot, with a dollop of additional yogurt and sprinkle of herbs.
Notes
TO STORE: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
TO REHEAT: Warm up leftover zucchini soup in a saucepan set over medium heat or in the microwave until it’s warmed through.
TO FREEZE: Transfer the soup to an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above.
