A light and creamy chilled zucchini soup that’s 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 chilled zucchini 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.
I like to have mine as a light meal sometimes so I’ve added pumpkin and hemps seeds for extra sustenance which makes the soup creamy without using any cream and adds a nice nutty flavor. I like to think of it like a savory smoothie that fills you up without weighing you down. 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.
Serves 2
Sylvie Shirazi
Yields 2
A light and creamy chilled zucchini soup that's perfect for warm weather meals.
15 minPrep Time
5 minCook Time
20 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons/45ml extra-virgin olive oil, divided use (plus more for drizzling on top)
- 1/2 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
- ½ Tablespoons/15g shelled hemp seeds
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into bowls and top with zucchini shavings, basil leaves and an extra drizzle of olive oil.
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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.
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