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Zucchini - Basil Soup

This is a light soup with lots of garlic.
Based on a recipe from Soups & Sides, Catherine Walthers, 2010, Lake, Isle Press, NY.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Gluten Free, Soups, Vegetarian
Keyword: Freezes Well
Author: Catherine Christiano

Ingredients

Roasted Garlic

  • 1 head garlic
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

Soup

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups onions diced, 2 medium onions
  • 2 cups leek white and light green part, chopped, approximately 2 small or 1 large leek
  • 1 cup carrots very small dice, approximately 2 average sized carrots.
  • 8 cups zucchini about 3 medium-large, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 7 cups water preheat in microwave to save time
  • 1 teaspoons kosher salt or more to taste
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves packed
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Roasted Garlic

  • Preheat toaster oven or regular oven to 375°F. About 1/4 from top of garlic, slice off top of head, cutting through all cloves. Place on approximately 7" length of aluminum foil. Drizzle open cloves with olive oil and put top back on. Wrap tightly in foil; place in oven until cloves are fragrant and softened, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, continue making soup. When garlic is cooled, remove foil, squeeze cloves into small bowl.

Soup

  • In 6-quart soup pot over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onions, leeks, and carrots; saute until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add zucchini, water, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer partially covered until vegetables are cooked, about 30 minutes.
  • Add roasted garlic and fresh basil leaves. Puree using immersion blender or in batched using blender. Add freshly ground pepper and additional salt to taste.

Notes

Using a food processor to roughly chop onions, leek, and carrots saves time.
Pair with cheese and bread for a meal or serve as an appetizer.