I thank my mom for my love of soup, and while we shared the love of soup, our tastes in what makes a great soup tended to diverge. She preferred the (bland) flavors of our Irish/English ancestry and her soup preferences were simple and heavy. Soups such as split pea made with a smoky ham hock, sweet milky clam chowder, beef and barley (clearly not GF), and, the irrefutable star of every Irish restaurant we visited during a 10-day trip to Ireland, cream of vegetable. Seriously, at every restaurant, on every day of the week, the soup of the day was unfailingly “cream of vegetable” with no specific vegetable, mind you.
Many of my mom’s favorite soups were heavy stick-to-your ribs foods where the vegetables are cooked until their vibrance was long lost. And spices? Who needs those? Bah! In contrast, my preferences lean toward spice, heat and bright vegetable flavors, leaning more toward the acidic than the creamy. While our preferences tended to diverge, there were a few that that we could agree upon, and this is one.
This zucchini soup is simple to make and is made of simple ingredients. It is comfort food at its finest without being terribly heavy. Its texture can be varied according you your tastes…puree until smooth or leave it a little chunky. It is all up to you.
When my mom was going through chemo, she didn’t tolerate texture well and food tasted like metal, I went out on a limb and brought her this soup despite her lack of regard for cumin. It was like a magic elixir for her. She ate the whole bowl and asked for another. It has since become my go-to for other friends who find themselves in a similar struggle and I always make a double batch because I have yet to find someone who doesn’t love it.
Zucchini Cumin Soup
- January 18, 2021
- ”8″
- Print this
Ingredients
- ⅓ C. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 C. chopped red onion
- 1 bunch scallions, ends trimmed and roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¾ tsp house blend seasoning
- 2 ½ tbsp ground cumin
- 1 small white potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 ½-2 pounds zucchini (2-4 depending on size), halved and quartered
- 6-8 cups of chicken stock
Directions
- Step 1
- Heat olive oil in a small stockpot or large saucepan over medium-high heat until hot enough to sizzle a piece of onion.
- Step 2
- Add onion and scallions, and stir for 2 minutes.
- Step 3
- Stir in garlic cloves, cumin and house blend seasoning and cook until fragrant and onions have softened, about 5 more minutes.
- Step 4
- Add the zucchini, potato and 6 cups of stock, stir well and raise heat to high
- Step 5
- Once soup has come to a boil, lower heat and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 35 minutes.
- Step 6
- Using an immersion blender, puree soup until it has reached your desired texture. If your soup is too thick, add additional stock.
- Step 7
- Taste and adjust seasoning for flavor, adding additional salt, pepper or house blend seasoning.
- Step 8
- Top with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream (optional) and serve.
- Step 9
- TIPS: Alternatively, you can puree this in batches in a blender, but use caution when pureeing hot foods! Only fill halfway and hold the lid down while blending.
- Step 10
- Return to pan and reheat before serving.
