It’s that time of year: zucchini time. Don’t know what to do with all that squash filling up your counter? Try this.
This is a recipe that many people have asked me for, so I thought I’d type it up once and point people this direction. It is from Sunset, of course. Everything I’ve ever made from that magazine is super delicious.
I often leave out the sour cream since I make this on the fly and that’s not something we usually have in the fridge. If you do that, go easy on the chili powder (I use red pepper instead of chili pepper. Again, I make soup with the ingredients I have, not the ingredients I wish I had.)
Oh yeah, I use veggie broth instead of chicken broth. It’s better that way.
The sour cream does make it extra yummy, though.
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 large yellow onion, chopped
* 2 pounds zucchini, sliced 1/4 in. thick
* 4 cups reduced-sodium or homemade chicken broth
* 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves, washed and stemmed, plus more for garnish
* 2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream, plus more for garnish
* 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, plus more for garnish
* Kosher salt
Preparation
1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and cook another 2 minutes; then add chicken broth and 1 cup basil leaves. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 20 minutes.
2. Purée the soup in batches in a blender. Pour the soup through a strainer into a bowl, using a ladle to push any solid bits through. Add 2 tbsp. crème fraîche and 1/4 tsp. chili powder. Season with salt to taste.
3. Divide soup among bowls and garnish each with some crème fraîche, a sprinkle of chili powder, and a few basil leaves.
See the results here.