Summer Recipes #4: Zucchini, Pea, and Basil Soup
Hi there!
Today, we’re exploring another recipe for this summer, a Zucchini, Pea and Basil Soup.
This recipe is on rotation at home. I harvest 2-3 zucchinis daily, so this is the perfect recipe to use them, combined with some frozen peas, and fresh basil from the garden.
What I love about this recipe is that it only requires a couple of ingredients and is super easy to prepare. Last week, my kids helped me make it. They were in charge of chopping the zucchinis, so they were entertained for a good while!
Normally, we serve it with some croutons, and last time we had it, I made a cucumber and beetroot carpaccio with a mustard, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil vinaigrette.
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Ingredients
Zucchinis. For this recipe, we use three medium zucchinis. My garden provides us with white zucchinis which have a milder taste and creamier texture, but you can use green zucchinis.
Peas. Fresh or frozen, we've made this recipe using both. We normally use frozen peas during the summer, as the season has ended, and we have frozen peas from spring.
Basil. Don't have garden basil? Don't worry. You can either buy a basil plant and pick the leaves as needed or get a pre-packaged bunch from the supermarket.
Onion. We like cooking a white onion together with the zucchinis, it adds a lovely flavour to your soup.
Vegetable stock.
Nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast adds a savoury, umami, almost cheesy flavour to the soup. You can also find some alternatives if you don't have nutritional yeast.
Cooking Method
Preheat the air fryer or oven to 400°F (200°C). Chop the zucchini and onion into large chunks. Drizzle with olive oil and place in the air fryer basket or on a baking sheet. Cook for 15 minutes or until tender and lightly caramelized.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the vegetable stock and add the frozen peas. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside. You can skip this part if you're using fresh peas.
Once the zucchini and onion are cooked, transfer them to a blender. Add the warm stock with peas, fresh basil leaves, and nutritional yeast flakes.
Blend until smooth, adding more water or stock if needed to reach the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with croutons, diced zucchini, and a drizzle of plant-based cream or extra virgin olive oil. For this recipe, we use oat cream.
Tips
If you like a thicker consistency, you can boil some potatoes and add them to the blender.
If you like creamier soups, substitute half of the stock with plant-based milk cream, such as cashew cream or oat cream.
You can prepare some tasty toasted nuts to serve with the soup by toasting them in a pan and adding a splash of soy sauce right at the end.
Use a high-speed blender or immersion blender for a smooth consistency. You may need to blend it for a couple of minutes.
If you have any leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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Love,
Laura.