Zucchini Basil Soup

Using little more than a handful of ingredients, this cold zucchini soup takes hardly any time or effort. There’s no cream or dairy; this vegan zucchini soup gets its silky texture from the zucchini itself along with a handful of cashews. Basil and lemon zest keep things bright and lively, while olive oil adds a pleasant silkiness once everything is all blitzed up together. 

It’s a rather quick soup to prepare, which is always a plus in the warmer months.  You can make it ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge until you’re ready to serve or chill it down quickly in an ice bath if you’re in a real hurry.  Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredient Notes:

(Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe.  As always find the full list of ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)

• Zucchini – Choose small to medium sized zucchini as larger ones tend to be spongy and have more seeds.  You’ll also need a few strips of julienned zucchini noodles for the topping which you can set aside before chopping the rest of the zucchini.
• Olive Oil – Use your favorite extra-virgin olive oil.
• Garlic – You’ll need one small garlic clove, grated or finely minced
• Celery – You’ll need 1 stalk of celery, finely sliced
• Herbs – You’ll need fresh basil leaves for both the soup and the garnish and some fresh parsley for the soup.
• Cashews – You’ll need raw cashews.
• Lemon – A bit of lemon peel adds freshness to the soup.
• Seeds – I’m using a combination of pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds but you can use whatever seeds you prefer.

How to Make a Basil Zucchini Soup

(Here are the basic steps and some helpful tips on how to make the recipe.  Find the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)

1. You’ll start by heating the olive oil in a saucepan, to which you’ll add the garlic, zucchini, celery and salt, and cook until just tender. 
2. Next you’ll add the water and cashews, bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce the heat and cook for about 15 minutes until the zucchini is very tender and the cashews have softened.
3. Now pour the soup into the jar of a high speed blender along with the lemon peel and blend until smooth and silky. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, until thoroughly chilled.
4. When you’re ready to serve pour the chilled zucchini soup into bowls and top with the reserved zucchini noodles, basil leaves and seeds.