One of my clients recently made me zucchini soup, and I had never ate it before. Expecting it to have a thin consistency with little taste, it was slightly creamy and surprisingly delicious. Her secret to texture and taste – leeks. Knowing that cooked zucchini is easy to digest and is good when your having gut issues (which I was) I decided to try making a similar soup myself. Not bad, not bad…
- 4 Tbs olive oil
- 3 leeks, white and green parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced.
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 7 large zucchini, halved lengthwise then cut into 1-inch thick half moons
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp Allepo pepper or ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbs unsalted butter or olive oil (optional)
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Sauté leeks and onions until they soften. Add zucchini, stock, salt, pepper and Allepo (or crushed red) pepper. Bring to boil then reduce heat to low-medium, cover and simmer for 40-50 minutes, or until zucchini is tender. Remove from heat, and butter or additional olive oil and blend using an immersion blender or transfer to a blender. Add salt, pepper and Allepo pepper to desired taste.
Serves 6-8.