Easy Zucchini (Courgette) Soup
I don’t think I ever had problems eating vegetables even when I was a kid. But, my brother was probably the one who started off not liking certain types of vegetables but ended up liking them a lot! I kind of think it’s an acquired taste, just like certain kind of food that people tend not to like, but takes a while to get used to the taste and end up liking it.
But if I had to choose between vegetables and seafood, I am pretty sure I choose the latter. Even so that I love seafood much more than vegetables, I always have to make sure I eat balanced diet. Too much of seafood, especially selfish is not good for health as it’s high in cholesterol.
Every now and then, I tend to have meat-free meals – just like the meat free burger that I made not long ago. Sometimes, I just feel like I need to eat a bit more vegetables than usual to give my body a “break” or detox. The fact that it’s summer now, there are many choices of vegetables and I just can’t miss all the fresh produce that I could get!
I love zucchini (also known as courgette). I have to admit that I had never cooked or tasted zucchini before I lived in this part of the world. It was quite an experience for me to learn some new ingredients when I first moved here. Zucchini or courgette is a summer squash. It is normally green in colour (looks pretty similar to cucumber). However, there are varieties that come in yellow and golden colour too. I would normally stir-fry, stew or steam it.
This time around, I made it into a soup, which I think now has becomes one of my favourite soups for summer! It’s light and fresh. To add a different dimension to the normal soup texture, I decided to put a large handful of thinly sliced raw zucchini before serving. Give it a good mix before eating. It’s a great summer soup when it’s slightly chill in the evening!
Easy Zucchini (Courgette) Soup
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
30 minutes
Yield:
4 servings
Ingredients:
For the Easy Zucchini (Courgette) Soup:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
800g courgettes/zucchini, cut into slices (reserved some and thinly sliced for serving)
2 bay leaves
700ml vegetable stock
50g freshly grated parmesan, optional (for serving)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Cook the onions for about 5 minutes until they start to soften. Add the courgettes and bay leaves. Cook until the courgettes start to soften.
2. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil for a few seconds. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from the heat.
3. Use a food processor or blender to blend until smooth. Reheat the soup. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with some thinly sliced raw courgette. Sprinkle with some grated parmesan, if liked.
