Cream of Zucchini soup

Whenever the weather gets cold, I inevitably crave soup. To me, there's not much that tops a bowl of thick, creamy soup with toasty bread when it's cold out and I'm having a lazy day at home with Tipsy. For inspiration, I turned to the most comprehensive Italian cookbook I've ever seen, The Silver Spoon. No joke, the book is thicker than most college textbooks I had from back in the day. In any case, the book lists everything from clear broth soups, to bread based ones. I decided to settle in the middle and pick a cream soup. The reason I chose zucchini from a bunch of other possibilities is because that's what looked the best at the supermarket. Had artichokes been in season, I might have gone that route. However, cream of zucchini turned out to be delicious so it's staying in my repertoire. 

My inspiration!

The following recipe is adapted from the one found in The Silver Spoon:

9 medium sized zucchinis

3 cloves of garlic, smashed

1 yellow onion

1 Russet potato

1 3/4 cups chicken stock

3/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

First up, the prep work. I personally halved all the zucchinis lengthwise, then sliced them so they looked like little half moons. Next, I diced the onion, smashed the garlic, and peeled and cut up the potato, which I set aside in a separate bowl. 

In a large pot, combine the olive oil, butter, zucchini, onion, thyme, garlic, and salt and pepper, and cook over low-medium heat until the onions are translucent and the zucchini are cooked through. It doesn't take a long time (about 15 minutes), but make sure to keep an eye out in case the zucchini burns. Once the vegetables are cooked through, I put in the potatoes, and covered everything with the chicken stock and water, and let it simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, which takes an additional 15 minutes or so.

Zucchini, onion, garlic, and thyme

Added potato, water, and chicken stock

 While the soup is simmering, I decided to bust out the stick blender again. It's just so much easier to use than a traditional countertop blender. Once the potatoes are soft, it's time to blend! Personally, I don't like it when soups are totally smooth. I like to have little pieces of vegetables that aren't blended, just to lend the soup some texture. The stick blender is perfect for this because it will leave some pieces whole. After blending, I put in the milk and brought it back up to a simmer. Once that happens, it's ready to eat! Just ladle into a bowl and serve with some toasted bread, and it's perfection on a cold and rainy day.

After blending, add milk and bring back to a simmer

Lunch is ready

A few notes: the original recipe didn't call for a potato or thyme, but I chose to add them for a few reasons. First, I used the potato as a thickening agent. I didn't want to use as much as milk as the recipe called for, which is why I put in the potato. It gives thickness without adding more richness. Secondly, I like herbs in my soups, and thyme lends a light, almost lemon-like flavor to the soup. However, if I wanted a more earthy flavor the next time I make the soup, I'll probably use oregano instead.