You don’t need loads of cream to make a Creamy Zucchini Soup because the natural texture of cooked zucchini blends into a thick, silky soup. This is a bowl of goodness to warm your soul, it’s ultra tasty and yet only 220 calories for a big bowl, or 98 calories if you skip the cream!
Creamy Zucchini Soup
Let’s talk SOUP.
Specifically, Creamy Zucchini Soup. A HEALTHY one. I haven’t deliberately made this healthy, this is simply the way I make Cream of Zucchini Soup. And in fact, there’s a good glug of cream stirred into the soup at the end. Which you can afford to do because even with the cream, it’s only got 220 calories per serving – for a big generous bowl.
And without the cream, it’s only got 98 calories a serving. Crazy, huh? And you know, yes I’m an advocate for adding a splash of cream into the soup (or butter!), but even without, this is a really ultra tasty soup!
Let’s take a good look at the star of this recipe. Zucchini. LOTS of it. 1 kg / 2 lb to be exact. This is such a great recipe to use up zucchini – it’s pretty much available all year round, and often very good value!
Once cooked until soft, zucchinis whizz up into a silky, smooth, thick soup. No roux, no potato, no cornflour, no thickeners required. The cream stirred in at the end isn’t for thickening, it’s for flavour.
See how thick it is?
There I am going on and on about how healthy this soup is, then I show you a photo of me dunking a butter slathered piece of toast into the soup with my little Chipolata-Sausage-like-fingers. (Though speaking of Chipolatas, they would be terrific in the Sausage Pasta I shared on Monday! 😂)
Here are some of my favourite Soup Dunkers:
This recipe makes a pretty big pot of this soup. In fact, it will serve 5 comfortably, or 4 with big appetites. I always make a gigantic pot because a) it freezes well; and b) this is my “go to” recipe when I load up on bargain zucchinis. I picked up 1 kg / 2 lb for a mere $1.99 from Harris Farms last week and had basic homemade vegetable broth made from offcuts so in all honesty, this entire recipe probably cost me $4 to make.
Enjoy! – Nagi x
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Healthy Creamy Zucchini Soup recipe video. Dozer fans – don’t miss his cameo at the end of the video! I gasped out loud with disapproval…..
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Creamy Zucchini Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 large onion , chopped (brown, yellow or white)
- 1 kg / 2 lb zucchinis , cut into 1.5cm / 3/5” slices, larger ones halved (Note 1)
- 3 cups / 750 ml vegetable or chicken broth , preferably salt reduced
- 1 cup / 250 ml water
- 3/4 cup / 185 ml cream, heavy / thickened (or light or add a good knob of butter instead) (Note 2)
- 1 cup / 250 ml milk , any fat %, or more cream
Garnish:
- Cream , for swirling
- Finely shredded parmesan
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and onions, and cook for 3 - 4 minutes until they are light golden brown.
- Add zucchinis, broth and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium. Optional: Scoop brown foam (scum) off surface every now and then.
- Cook for 15 - 20 minutes or until zucchini is very soft.
- Use a stick blender to whizz until smooth. (Note 1 for blender)
- Stir through cream and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls, swirl over a touch of cream if desired, a pinch of shredded parmesan, and more pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
PS Little tip for a basic “mash up” homemade vegetable broth – I don’t have a composter or chooks (that’s “chickens” in Aussie speak) so what I do is shove all veggie offcuts in large plastic bags and store them in the fridge. For a 4 litre/ 4 quart pot, I put in 6 cups of water then jam pack it (and I mean press it down good) with veggie scraps & sad floppy herbs, a quartered onion, 3 garlic cloves minced, big pinch of pepper and 2 bay leaves. Simmer away for 40 minutes – 1 hour lid off, reducing it right until I have 3 cups of liquid (strained, squeeze out liquid from veggies. Pretty much everything goes into the offcuts bag, even onion skins, dirty potato skin, the dirt coated roots of things, even corn cobs after I cut the corn off. If you have lots of dirt coated things in your stock, just let it settle then pour off the top, avoiding the bits at the bottom.
More zucchini recipes
-
Healthy Cream of Vegetable Soup (Zucchinis are the secret ingredient for ultra low cal creamy white soup!)
-
Zucchini Tian (French Rice Bake)
And more creamy soups!
-
Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup – bid Heinz goodbye!
-
Browse all Soups
LIFE OF DOZER
It’s really hard to concentrate on my computer when that face is shoved in front of me like that.
I’m pretty sure it’s not my tea he’s after, it’s the Shortbread. 😉
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Did not expect zucchini soup to taste this good! We actually had it without the milk & cream addition (just sour cream on the side) but it still tasted so good! Thanks for this recipe Nagi, it will definitely be a regular.
Hi! really love the soup (and I didn’t use any cream as it was just so naturally creamy!). Can I freeze it (esp if no cream added)?
Better yet fry off onion garlic Zucchini. The more brown the more flavour at the end. Then add liquid cook then milk at the end. Add 2 teaspoons of basil and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg. Try it and compare. Gold!
We’re having a veritable GLUT of zucchinis this late summer in our garden so turned to this recipe. So simple. First time trying – awesome. Second time trying we didn’t have cream or milk so tried sour cream instead …….OMG!!! Maybe that’s just our taste but the sub of sour cream sends this (for us) from a great meal to sublime. What an awesome and easy way Nagi to make amazing lunches from waaaay too much of a bounty of zucchinis. Continue to love your recipes 🥰
I was thinking “I wonder how it would be with sour cream?” Low and behold, I read the comments and see you’ve tried it; it’s a winner. Thanks for sharing.
Just delicious! Thanks Nagi for this simple and very easy to follow recipe. Will make another batch soon 😍
Hi! Just wanted to say, this is a great basic way to make any kind of vegetable soup – my go to – that you can make as skinny or decadent as you want. Never could understand why so many folks think soup is complicated. Thanks for all your recipes, Nagi!
Really good, Thankyou!
Made this soup tonight and it was lovely. Entire family enjoyed it.
Thanks! N x
Best soup ever!! This was devine and so easy. Love your recipes!!
I love your recipes! Would I be able to add potato to this or would you not recommend?
I am the only courgette lover in my family so I don’t get them often but this soup was So delish and so bonkers easy that I am sure I will soon change everyone’s mind 🤗
This soup was outstanding! The proportions of everything was spot on. I have tried other zucchini soup recipes but they have all been lacking. Nice to have a super delicious way to use up our zucchini. Thanks very much for this recipe, Nagi (and Dozer).
OMG!!!!!! I don’t tend to comment on recipes. This soup is truly wonderful, healthy and comforting. So quick and easy to make but full of flavour. Great to use up our allotment courgettes. Thank you so much
Thanks for the recipe Nagi! I’ll grab a bag of Woolies ‘the odd bunch’ zucchini’s when I see them to make this soup. Easy and tasty.
Hi Nagi,I’m from the Netherlands
Your zucchini soup is out of this world everyone in my family loves it, so from now on I will make it regularly.thanks so much .
Thanks Nagi! This was easy, turned out perfect and the people I made it for loved it!
Hi Nagi, I’m just making the soup now. Can I freeze it? Is so sound I leave out the cream and add when thawed?
Hi Jill, yes you can, add the cream and then once you thaw, if you find the cream splits from the soup, just give it a quick blitz to bring it back together. Enjoy! N x
Thank you
This delicious soup is a regular at our place during zucchini season. I use Greek yoghurt instead of cream which adds a nice tang.
I have a question and i saw the video now twice and noticed that u only put in the cream but there was no milk. Do a have to put the milk in to or not ?
I’m a bit confused
Hi Nagi – I think you meant 15mm not cm- Apart from that a great soup and I used coconut cream instead of dairy.- lovely.
The recipe says 1.5cm but it may have been changed after your comment.
I just made this for the first time, after finding myself with too many zucchinis. It was a huge smash hit with my husband and parents in law. So delicious! It will definitely be part of our regular menu from now on.
Hi Nagi! Could I add some potatoes to thicken the soup a bit? Or would it alter the taste and texture too much? Thanks in advance (going to make it tomorrow) 🙂
Try adding some white cannelini beans. It will thicken the soup and add more protein and less carbs than potatoes. Although if you like potatoes I think that they would be good too, I don’t think they would change the flavor too much.