Zucchini Basil Soup

This light and creamy chilled zucchini basil soup is perfect for warm weather meals.

Gaspacho or even cucumber soup is probably what first comes to mind when you think of chilled soups, and while tomatoes and cucumbers make for excellent warm weather soups, I’m also quite fond of those featuring another summer staple: zucchini.

Puréed until silky smooth the mild mannered squash makes a light and creamy soup that’s nice and refreshing when served chilled.

A cold soup like this zucchini basil soup is always a great one to have on rotation this time of year.  Smooth and satisfying, it’s the perfect appetizer, first course or even main attraction depending on your mood or need.

What's in zucchini basil soup?

There's zucchini of course that's quickly sautéed with garlic and celery.

Then I add pumpkin and hemps seeds which makes the soup creamy without using any cream and adds a nice nutty flavor. 

Basil and lemon zest keep things bright and lively, while olive oil adds a pleasant silkiness when everything is all blitzed up together.

The amounts I’ve called for make about 2 servings but it could easily be one if you’re eating it as a meal by itself. It’s also rather quick to prepare, which is always a plus, and most of the heavy lifting is done in the blender.  You can make it ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge until you’re ready or chill it down quickly in an ice bath if you’re in a real hurry.

More zucchini recipes:

• Grilled Zucchini and Summer Squash
• Zucchini Noodle Primavera
• Sautéed Zucchini with Chili and Lime

Continue to Content

Yield: 2 Servings

Zucchini Basil Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

This light and creamy chilled zucchini basil soup is perfect for warm weather meals.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 ½ Tablespoons/45ml extra-virgin olive oil, divided use (plus more for drizzling on top)
• ½ large or one small garlic clove, grated or finely minced
• 2 small zucchini, thinly sliced, (plus extra shavings for garnish if desired)
• 1 stalk of celery, finely sliced
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 ½ cups/ 360ml filtered water
• 8-10 large basil leaves, (plus more to garnish)
• 1 strip of lemon peel
• ¼ cup/28g raw or sprouted pumpkin seeds (plus more to garnish)
• ½ Tablespoons/15g shelled hemp seeds (plus more to garnish)
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• strips of julienned zucchini noodles for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat half the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, zucchini and celery and salt, and cook stirring occasionally until just tender (about 5 minutes). Remove the saucepan from the heat.
2. Place the cooked zucchini and celery in the jar of a high speed blender along with the water, basil leaves, lemon peel, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds and the rest of the olive oil. Puree the soup on high until very smooth. Pass through a strainer into a large bowl if desired for a smoother result. Refrigerate covered for at least 2-3 hours, until thoroughly chilled.
3. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into bowls and top with julienned zucchini, basil leaves, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds and an extra drizzle of olive oil before serving chilled.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Go Raw Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt, Sprouted & Organic, 14 oz. Bag | Keto | Vegan | Gluten Free Snacks | Superfood
• 
  Nutiva Organic Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 229Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 151mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 5g

Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Did you make this recipe?

Please rate it, leave a comment below, or Pin it for later.

Sylvie

Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.