Creamy Zucchini Soup

This creamy zucchini soup was created when a friend of mine requested a hearty soup with protein. Instead of just loading up on chunks of meat, I use silken tofu which adds the protein and the creamy texture. Since the tofu makes it creamy, there is no need for dairy so this soup is dairy-free too. I have seasoned it with some allspice and cayenne pepper but feel free to add your favorite spices and herbs. The soup provides a great base for many flavors.

Soup Ingredients

Broth – If you are vegetarian or vegan I highly recommend using Imagine No-Chicken Broth (the low-sodium one). It has the best flavor of any of the vegan broths I have tried and provides a great base for soups. If you eat chicken, I recommend using a low-sodium chicken broth. Imagine Food’s Chicken broth is very good also.

Onions – If you have digestive issues with onions (like me) you can leave them out. A small amount of onion powder is a good substitute if you are able to tolerate it.

Salt – I have not given an exact amount of salt because all broths are not created equal. The salt level varies greatly so just let your taste buds tell you how much is the right amount.

Zucchini Soup Variations

This creamy soup has a nice mild flavor and will be great with other flavors

Curry-Zucchini Soup – Add 1 tsp curry powder in place of the allspice and cayenne and use cilantro in place of the parsley.

Thai Zucchini Soup – Use cilantro in place of the parsley. Add 1 Tbsp finely sliced lemongrass (with the celery and carrot) using only the bottom third of the stalk with outer leaves removed. Stir in 1/2 c canned coconut milk or cream and the zest of one lime after pureeing it and before adding salt.

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Creamy Zucchini Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This creamy zucchini soup is vegan and with protein from silken tofu makes a satisfying snack or meal.

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Ingredients

• 14 oz container of silken tofu
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 small carrots or 10 baby carrots
• 1/4 large onion
• 3 medium-sized zucchini
• 3 cups low sodium vegetable (see recommended broth below) or chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp fresh or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 oz fresh parsley leaves (handful)
• 1 oz fresh cilantro leaves (handful)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• kosher salt
• pepper

Instructions

1. Drain the water from the tofu. Cut the block in thirds and place it on an absorbent kitchen towel.
2. Roughly chop the onions and celery and chop the carrots a bit smaller. Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and then into 1/4″ slices.
3. Heat a medium-sized pot with the oil. Throw in the carrot, celery and onion and saute about 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are softened a bit. Add a couple of pinches of salt and stir.
4. Add the zucchini and saute, stirring occasionally, another 5-7 minutes until it is softened.
5. Add the broth, bay leaves, thyme, parsley and cilantro. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the flame to low-medium to simmer. Cover the pot and let simmer for about 35-40 minutes. Give the pot a stir every 10 minutes or so.
6. Remove the bay leaves.
7. If you have an immersion blender, great, keep the soup in the pot and use that.
8. Otherwise pour the soup into the blender (you’ll have to do it in batches). NOTE: If you are using the blender, remove the center plastic piece from the lid before blending. Otherwise the heat will cause a the lid to pop off during blending. Cover the opening with a light towel to prevent splattering.
9. Roughly cube the tofu and add to the blender or pot along with the allspice, cayenne pepper, a couple of pinches of salt, and a pinch of black pepper.
10. Once all the soup is pureed taste it for the salt level. Add in pinches, little by little until it is to your taste. You can also add more cayenne if you like more kick.

Notes

IMPORTANT NOTE: BE CAREFUL when using the blender – you must remove the clear center piece from the lid of the blender to allow the heat to escape. If you don’t, you’ll have a soup explosion! This is not margarita you’re making here. You can lightly cover the opening with a towel to prevent splashing. Puree until it is smooth.

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Recommended Products

• 
  Low Sodium Vegetarian No-Chicken Broth

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1 cup
Amount Per Serving Calories 186Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 4mgSodium 309mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 4gSugar 7gProtein 11g

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated using information from the Nutritionix database. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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