HEALTHY FOOD so TASTY you'll
want to eat it EVERYDAY.
ZUCCHINI (COURGETTE) SOUP
Zucchini soup is a great choice for a healthy snack that will satisfy without filling you out. Serve with some thin crackers with melted cheese for a light lunch or starter.
Or for larger parties, fill shot glasses with soup and top with a spot of plain yogurt for an easy yet impressive-looking treat.
Topped with fresh chives and served with cheese crackers.
PREP TIME: 10 min
STOVE TIME:
Wonderbag Method 15 min
Conventional Method 50 min
SERVES: 6
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE SOUP
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3 Tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
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2 leeks, thinly sliced from the white end up to about 2 inches before the dark green bit
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2 cloves garlic, finely minced
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2 tsp dried oregano
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1 ½ tsp salt
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½ tsp black pepper
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2 large zucchinis (courgettes) ends trimmed, thinly sliced
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4 cups (1 L) chicken or vegetable stock
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Further salt and pepper to taste
OPTIONAL GARNISH
-
Fresh chives, finely diced
-
Parmesan cheese, shredded
Zucchini (courgette), leeks, garlic, dried oregano & olive oil.
COOK THE SOUP
CONVENTIONAL METHOD
1) Heat a 2 ½ quart (3 litre) pot on medium-high. Add olive oil and leeks and saute 5 minutes, until leeks are soft and start to brown in parts.
2) Add garlic and oregano and cook for 1 minute.
3) Add the zucchini, stock salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.
4) Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 45 minutes.
You will want to stir this about every 20 minutes to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
WONDERBAG METHOD
1) Heat a 2 ½ quart (3 litre) pot on medium-high. Add olive oil and leeks and saute 5 minutes, until leeks are soft and start to brown in parts.
2) Add garlic and oregano and cook for 1 minute.
3) Add the zucchini, stock salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.
4) Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes
5) Seal your lidded pot in the Wonderbag and leave to cook for a minimum of 45 minutes (best to leave it 3-4 hours, or all day, the flavours develop the longer you leave it).
SERVE
When ready to serve, remove the pot from bag, and puree the mixture into a smooth consistency using a hand/staff blender (or transfer to a food processor or drinks blender).
AS A BOWL OF SOUP
Garnish as desired with fresh chives, and/or stir in some shredded Parmesan.
A few crispy crackers with cheese (melted under the broiler/grill for a few minutes) are great for dunking in the soup.
AS SOUP 'SHOTS'
For a 'clean pour', ladle soup into a measuring cup or small pitcher, and then pour through a funnel into the shot glasses. Top with a tiny dollop of plain yogurt.
Topped with parmesan cheese.
Recipe & Photo Credit: Cathy Menees
COOKS NOTES
INGREDIENTS
I use 1 ½ tsp of salt when cooking, but this will of course vary by how salty (or not) your stock is.
GARNISH
While this soup is delicious on it's own, a tiny bit of parmesan goes a long way in adding a ‘rich’ taste and diced chives gives a nice fresh bite to the soup.
KITCHEN BUDDIES
The Wonderbag is ideal for fresh vegetable soups to enable a slow cook and retention of flavor and nutrients (i.e. you're not opening the soup to stir, so all goodness is trapped inside).
I use a staff mixer to puree the soup directly in the pot (vs. transfering to a food processor or blender).
