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Creamy Zucchini Soup

Creamy zucchini soup that turns summer zucchini into a velvety, smooth blended soup with a pale green swirl of cream. Simmered until tender, then blended silky and finished with parmesan and gentle heating for a rich texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Base and blending
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 lb zucchini roughly chopped
  • 4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Creamy finish
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 0.25 cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 white pepper to taste
  • 1 olive oil for serving
  • 1 fresh basil for garnish
  • 1 crusty bread for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Sauté the aromatics
  1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the onion for 4–5 minutes until softened.
  2. Add the garlic and dried thyme, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Simmer until tender
  1. Add the chopped zucchini and chicken or vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the zucchini is very tender.
Blend smooth
  1. Blend the soup until completely smooth using an immersion blender, or transfer in batches to a blender.
Finish creamy and season
  1. Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan, then heat gently without boiling.
  2. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
Serve
  1. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with fresh basil.
  2. Serve with crusty bread on the side.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, blend while the soup is hot and avoid rushing—if using a countertop blender, vent the lid and blend in batches. Refrigerate in a sealed container up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove (do not boil after adding cream). Freezing is not ideal due to the cream, but it can be frozen for up to 2 months and reheated gently. Vegetarian swap: use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.