Summer Fest Week 3 - Zucchini Soup

Zucchini is one of those innocuous vegetables that doesn't really stand out. Sure, the small ones can be tender, but the large ones tend to get spongy. Because of the high moisture content and neutral taste ?and it's debatable zucchini actually has a taste ? it's grated into cakes, mixed into pasta sauces and even used as a substitute for lasagna noodles.

Although I've been happily eating this vegetable for years I have yet to say, "Mmmm, mmmm! Now THAT'S one good zucchini!" I usually buy them as an excuse to enjoy the herbs, spices and cheeses they support so well. And zucchini bisque is one of my favourite excuses.

Now, most recipes, including my own family's recipe, use far too much cream. I used to think my version, which I posted a couple of years ago, was pretty good. Ignore it. This one is better. Not only does it use far less fat, it's more generous with fresh herbs. It comes from Heidi Noble's award-winning cookbook, Menus from an Orchard Table. While Noble's story is intriguing and the photos seductive, mains that call for wild boar and pheasant are beyond my skills. I admit, when I saw the meat dishes in this book I was more than a bit intimidated. But the vegetable recipes are another matter.

So as Summer Fest heads into Week 3, I offer my contribution to "Beans & Greens" with a soft green zucchini soup. Use small zucchini. Their high green-skin-to-pale-inside ratio creates a lovely avocado hue.

Make it now. Make it often. Make more than you think you'll need. The recipe says it serves 6, but three or four is closer to my appetite demands. Heck, I'm tempted to eat the whole batch myself.

Zuppa di Zucchine

Excerpt with permission from Heidi Noble's Menus from an Orchard Table: Celebrating the Food and Wine of the Okanagan (Whitecap 2007)

Serves 6 (small servings)

Ingredients

2 lb (1 kg) zucchini (about 4 medium) (I used 6 small)

2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp (1 mL) chili flakes or a small peperocino

2 cups (500 mL) light chicken stock, vegetable stock or water, hot

1/4 cup (60 ml) whipping cream (35%)

1/2 cup (125 mL) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

8 leaves fresh basil, finely chopped or chiffonade*

1 large handful flat-leaved parsley, finely chopped

juice and zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

Cut the unpeeled zucchini in half. Lay the zucchini on its flat side and then cut into 1/2 inch (1 cm) half-moon slices. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan and slowly cook the zucchini. Cook for 5 minutes on low, and then add the garlic slices. Cool until the zucchini has "melted" and turned golden and very soft, about 20 minutes. Add a pinch of salt, some freshly ground pepper and chili flakes.

Pour the hot stock over the soft zucchini and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Transfer the soup in batches to a blender and puree until smooth. Taste each batch for seasoning, and add more salt, if necessary. Put the blended soup into a clean pot and keep warm until serving time. Right before serving add the cream, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and fresh herbs and finish off with the lemon juice and zest.

Serve with crusty bread.


Chef's tip: If you have zucchini plants, pick one of the blossoms and chiffonade that too, for a garnish.

* Chiffonade is a technique in which herbs or leafy green vegetables (such as lettuce, cabbage or basil) are cut into long, thin strips. The leaves are stacked, rolled tightly, and then cut across with a sharp knife to produced fine ribbons. The term is a French word meaning "made of rags".