Cold Creamy Zucchini Soup is a fantastic way to use up all those spare zucchini in the summer months and is also a great way to sneak a little extra vegetable content into your meals.
I am aware that my kids may be the exception here, but they live for vichyssoise. Seriously. When we were planting potatoes this summer the kids looked at me blanky until I explained that we could make almost endless vichyssoise and homefries. That got their attention and they got their hands in the dirt, STAT!
I can’t explain their fascination with cold potato and leek soup logically. My eldest and second born eat anything I put in front of them. My third born, not so much with most veggies, but he’s coming around. My fourth born has a nearly clinical paranoia of all foods vegetable and green. The only exceptions are green grapes and Granny Smith apples. My fifth born dislikes anything he decides to dislike whenever he feels like it with no pattern whatsoever. Naturally, any food they all like predictably gets shoved into the rotation as frequently as possible.
We are, however, being overrun by man eating zucchini right now. We have zucchini the size of femurs that seemingly grow overnight in our garden. Obviously, once the skin gets thick they get tossed to the chickens (and NOT on them as some people around here seem to think is the best way to get their attention.) Miraculously, some of these gargantuan zukes still have delicate skin and very few seeds. That makes it human fare!
I have grown somewhat weary of three versions of “I don’t like zucchini” at our dinner table so I employed subterfuge to great effect last night. A beam of light came down from heaven and illuminated my zucchini and blender. It was divine inspiration. I made zucchini-ssoise. Or faux-chyssoise. Or whatever you want to call it. In my head it was Cold Creamy Zucchini Soup. This soup is also good warm, but really people, it’s August… If you want warm soup go for it. Just not here.
Faux-chyssoise
Ingredients:
- 3 TB chopped onion
- 3 TB butter
- 3 TB flour
- 2 C milk
- 1 C water
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 4 cups shredded zucchini (approximately 1 large zucchini)
- 1 c. (4 oz.) cheddar cheese, shredded
In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in milk, water, bouillon, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thick. Add zucchini. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Stir in cheese until melted.
Puree in your blender in two batches, making sure to remove the center part of your blender lid and cover with a tea towel. This is important because it allows the steam to escape the blender without blowing the lid off the whole shebang!
This yields 4 servings, so my advice is to double this because you’re going to want leftovers. Serve hot or super chilled. So, so good. Please try this!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons chopped onion
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups shredded zucchini approximately 1 large zucchini
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- n a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in milk, water, bouillon, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thick. Add zucchini. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Stir in cheese until melted. Puree in your blender in two batches, making sure to remove the center part of your blender lid and cover with a tea towel. This is important because it allows the steam to escape the blender without blowing the lid off the whole shebang! This yields 4 servings, so my advice is to double this because you’re going to want leftovers. Serve hot or super chilled. So, so good. Please try this!
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Reader's Thoughts...
Rebecca says
Bellini Valli- Thank you kindly. The zucchini are now popping up Louisville slugger size. Astonishing! I don’t even weed that garden. I’m a disgrace to gardeners everywhere.
Lori- Brilliant! I’m going to have to use your approach. My kids inexplicably don’t like mac and cheese. I’m not convinced they’re of this world… But I can apply that brilliant subterfuge to other things, too. I see zucchini appearing (or NOT appearing, so to speak) in many, many things in the near future.
Hot Garlic- Thanks for popping by- and your kind words. Don’t be a stranger!
Hot Garlic says
Hey! Just clicked over from FFF. I am excited to hit back and check out your blog. So far I have found it a great mix of wit and good food, what a great combo!
Lori says
That’s so funny. I make a mac and cheese with zucchini puree for my kids. First I fry up the zucchini with butter to give it extra flavor and then I puree it with milk. I pour that into grate cheese and mix in the cooked pasta. THEY LOVE IT.
Bellini Valli says
What a perfect way to use up those zucchini the size of femurs…I love that:D