Recipe : Zucchini Basil Soup

One of my favorite week night soup recipes, this creamy soup is so easy to whip up,

yet never fails to impress friends with its punch of summer flavor and, most of all, its lack of any cream ingredients ...

the ingredients.
2 pounds zucchini, trimmed and chopped
¾ cup shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
4 cups water, divided
⅓ cup packed basil leaves

This first step is optional, but makes for a nice visual touch: 

using a vegetable peeler/slicer, julienne the skin from two or three zucchini. 

Toss the zucchini ribbons with ½ teaspoon salt and drain in a sieve until wilted, at least 20 minutes.

Trim and chop the remaining zucchini.

Peel and chop the shallot(s) and garlic cloves.

Heat olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, sautée shallots and garlic until softened and golden, about five minutes. 

Next, add the chopped zucchini and 1 teaspoon of salt, again, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes. 

Add three cups water and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 15 minutes. 

In the meantime, pick the leaves from a large bunch of fresh basil.

Pour the softened zucchini into a blender, season with salt and fresh ground pepper, add the fresh basil leaves - and purée the soup. Depending on blender size, make in two batches. 

Bring remaining cup water to a boil in a small saucepan and blanch julienned zucchini 1 minute.
Drain in a sieve set over a bowl. Use some of the liquid to thin the soup, if necessary.

Serve in shallow bowls with julienned zucchini mounded on top (or with some freshly grated parmesan or pecorino romano) ...

... adapted from a recipe originally published in {the much missed} Gourmet Magazine, issue July 2008.

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