It’s that time of year again (my favorite time by the way)…. Whether you are picking up your weekly basket, pulling them from your garden or seeing them in the grocery store, one things for sure. They are everywhere. Even coming from our ears I’ve heard! If you’re anything like me, you’ll be jumping for joy the moment you see those long green vegetables in your baskets! Yes, i’m talking about zucchini. The possibilities are endless; grilled zucchini, sautéed, zucchini bread, fried zucchini….I could go on forever. But not everyone is interested in the “traditional” zucchini options. If you are one of those people or you just want to try something new, this recipe just might be for you!
A few years ago, with a little extra time, I was doing some experimenting in the kitchen. I had a garden full of zucchini and tomatoes, but it was towards the end of the summer, so I was getting tired of cooking them the same old way. I wanted to make something new with them. Even though it was warm out, I really wanted a soup, if you live in a cold state, you never underestimate the value of a good soup! If you are hankering for an end of summer soup give this a try!
Ingredients
- 4-6 Zucchinis (chopped, don't peel, I remove only the large seeds)
- 8-12 Tomatoes (whole)
- 2 Medium Size Onions (chopped)
- 3 Garlic Cloves (chopped)
- 7 Chicken Bouillon cubes
- 1 Cup Ketchup
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tbsp. Honey
- 4 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning (oregano, thyme and basil)
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. of Crushed Bay Leaves
- 2 Pinches of Fresh Basil
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. of Lemon Juice
- *Salt & Pepper to taste
- *Olive Oil for sautéing
Instructions
- In large stockpot, sauté onions and garlic on medium heat until onions are translucent (about 5-7 minutes). Add water to stock pot about 1/3 to 1/2 full. Turn heat up to medium high.
- Add chopped zucchini to stockpot and boil until tender (about 30-40 minutes). At about 25 minutes into boiling start next step.
- While zucchini is boiling take tomatoes and remove any stems. With a sharp knife, cut a long X across the bottom of the tomato. Add tomatoes to boiling water (make sure the tomatoes are under water). Have a large bowl of ice water ready. Remove tomatoes from boiling stockpot after 35 seconds and place in ice water.
- When zucchini is done, drain and set aside. Get a blender ready, skin tomatoes and place in blender. Blend together until all tomatoes are blended. Return tomatoes to stockpot (the stove can be turned on to the lowest heat setting).
- Take zucchini mixture add to blender and blend until all the zucchini is blended. You can leave it as chunky as you like, its really a personal preference. I blend it until its a liquid but I will usually leave a few cups half blended just for some extra texture. Add mixture to the stockpot and turn stove to simmer.
- Add 1 1/2 cups of water and the rest of the ingredients: bouillon cubes, Ketchup, Worcestershire Sauce, Italian seasoning, Sugar, bay leaves, lemon juice and honey. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Optional
- If you want a creamier soup, add 1/2 cup of heavy cream before serving.
Notes
If you're not a fan of zucchini, try this soup, people say it hides this zucchini flavor!
This soup was amazing! I love a good tomato-basil soup, and have never gone outside my comfort zone in making tomato soup. This recipe was well worth it! It was hearty, THe blended zucchini really made it thick and filling. The flavors were savory and left me wanting more after each bite. I will definately be making this soup several times with all the zucchini and tomatoes I am getting!