Light Silky Summer Squash Soup (Printable)

Light, silky zucchini soup with fresh herbs, lemon zest, and optional cream. Ready in 40 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 4 medium zucchinis (approximately 1.75 pounds), sliced
05 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
06 - 1 stalk celery, chopped

→ Liquids

07 - 4 cups vegetable broth
08 - 1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut milk, optional

→ Herbs & Seasoning

09 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
11 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
13 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
14 - Zest of 1/2 lemon

→ Garnish

15 - Fresh herbs, finely chopped
16 - Olive oil or cream for drizzling

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery, sauté for 4 minutes until softened.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in sliced zucchini and diced potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer partially covered for 15 minutes until vegetables are very tender.
05 - Remove from heat. Add fresh parsley, basil, thyme, and lemon zest.
06 - Blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth and silky, or transfer in batches to a blender and process until desired consistency.
07 - Stir in cream or coconut milk if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
08 - Reheat gently if needed. Serve hot or chilled, garnished with extra herbs and a drizzle of olive oil or cream.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, which means you can make it on a weeknight without thinking twice.
  • The soup tastes even better the next day when all those herb flavors have gotten to know each other.
  • It's naturally flexible, welcoming cream or coconut milk depending on what's in your fridge.
02 -
  • Don't blend the soup until it's completely cooled if you're using a regular blender; I learned this the hard way when hot soup exploded all over my ceiling and I spent twenty minutes cleaning instead of eating.
  • The lemon zest matters more than you think; it's the secret that makes people ask what's different about your soup compared to others they've tried.
03 -
  • Use an immersion blender instead of a regular blender; it saves you from the cooling step and makes cleanup so much easier.
  • Add the cream right at the end and don't boil it after that; keeping it gentle preserves its flavor and prevents any separation or curdling.
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