Do you peel zucchini for soup?

No, not unless you’re working with jumbo zucchini, which tend to have a thicker skin. This thicker skin can be bitter. If you want to make sure, cut a single cube of your zucchini and microwave it for a minute or two. Take a bite. Is it sweet/neutral? No need to peel. Taste kinda bitter? Peel that sucker with a good vegetable peeler.

What can I use instead of tahini?

If you don’t like the idea of tahini in your soup or if you have a sesame allergy, you can use cashew butter, cashew cream, sunflower seed cream , or even a store-bought plant based heavy cream. Even canned coconut cream or milk would work well! If you’re looking for a low fat option, add a half or whole cup of cooked white beans (if canned, drain and rinse them first) before you blend. You could also add a cubed potato or two to the mix when you begin to cook the zucchini . Since zucchini cooks faster than potato, you’ll want to make sure the potato is soft before you blend.

What to serve with vegan zucchini soup?

I highly recommend topping this soup with either my vegan croutons OR this awesome everything tofu I designed specifically for this soup. Or my crispy tofu or panko tofu would be good. You could definitely also serve this soup with a side salad or something a bit more substantial like a vegan grilled cheese sandwich or even these vegan tuna melts .

How do you thicken zucchini soup?

Many folks will thicken zucchini soup with a roux or with other things added (like a chopped potato or a can of beans). That will work fine. I designed this vegan zucchini soup recipe specifically so it didn’t need a thickener. I really recommend reserving some of the broth before you blend. That will enable you to add more if needed since it is easier to make a soup thinner than thicker.

How do I blend the soup?

You can either pour or ladle the soup into a countertop blender or use an immersion blender. The better quality your blender in either case, the smoother your soup will be. If you prefer it chunky, I recommend using the immersion blender and just blend until the desired consistency is achieved.

How to store the soup?

Store this soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You may want to revive the flavor with a little more lemon juice or salt after a few days. You can also freeze the soup in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. I love souper cubes for this!

Vegan Zucchini Soup

Name: Vegan Zucchini Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 medium yellow or sweet onion, diced; 3-4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 ½ pounds zucchini, diced (8 cups diced) (see note 1); ½ teaspoon dried thyme; ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary (I used ground, for a smoother soup texture); ¼ teaspoon celery seed or celery salt (see note 2); ¼ teaspoon salt, more or less depending on broth (add at the end if not sure); ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) nutritional yeast (see note 3); 3 cups vegetable broth (I used low sodium vegetable broth; ¼ cup tahini (see note 4); Juice of 1 medium lemon, about 3-4 tablespoons; 2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Description

This bright and creamy Vegan Zucchini Soup is thick, healthy, and completely delicious. This soup comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 medium yellow or sweet onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 pounds zucchini, diced (8 cups diced) (see note 1)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary (I used ground, for a smoother soup texture)
1/4 teaspoon celery seed or celery salt (see note 2)
1/4 teaspoon salt, more or less depending on broth (add at the end if not sure)
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) nutritional yeast (see note 3)
3 cups vegetable broth (I used low sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup tahini (see note 4)
Juice of 1 medium lemon, about 3-4 tablespoons
2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

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Instructions

Cook onions: Start by heating a large nonstick pot over medium high heat. If you cook with oil, add the oil when the pot is hot. If you are cooking oil-free, add the onions directly to the heated pot. Cook the onions for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the onions start to stick, add a tablespoon or two of broth to release and stir well.
Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the seasonings, nutritional yeast, and zucchini now and stir well. Cook the zucchini for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Now add the vegetable broth, stir, and bring to a boil uncovered.
Cook uncovered for about 15-20 minutes until the zucchini is very tender.
Optional step: I would remove a bit of the broth for now, maybe about half a cup. This isn’t a necessary step, however, it keeps the soup from getting too thin.
Blend the soup until smooth and creamy. Add the tahini, lemon juice and parsley now. I pour the whole thing (saving a bit of broth in the pot) into my 64 ounce countertop blender but you can also use an immersion blender. If you’d like your soup thinner, blend in a little bit of the reserved broth. If your soup is too thin, return it to the pot and simmer over medium heat for 10 more minutes, or a bit longer until the soup has thickened to your liking.
Serve immediately, preferably with delicious vegan croutons or maybe some cubed crispy tofu on top.
Store: Refrigerate leftover soup for up to 5 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.

Notes

Note 1: Yellow summer squash or a mix of the two can also be used. Please note that if you are using jumbo zucchini, these can be thicker skinned and a bit bitter. Please cut a cube, microwave or steam it, and taste it to make sure it tastes good. Bitter zucchini will not make a good soup. You may want to peel jumbo zucchini for the soup, as usually the bitter flavor is just in the peel, not the flesh.
Note 2: Either of these are a nice addition. Since I have a powerful blender, I used celery seed and it blended nicely, but if you’re using an immersion blender or you have a standard blender, you may want to use celery salt instead and reduce the regular salt in this recipe.
Note 3: Nutritional yeast adds a lot of flavor and ensures the soup will be thicker later. If you omit, I’d add a little less broth.
Note 4: If you don’t like the idea of tahini in your soup or if you have a sesame allergy, you can use cashew butter, cashew cream, sunflower seed cream, or even a store-bought plant based heavy cream. Even canned coconut cream or milk would work well! If you’re looking for a low fat option, add a half or whole cup of cooked white beans (if canned, drain and rinse them first) before you blend. You could also add a cubed potato or two to the mix when you begin to cook the zucchini. Since zucchini cooks faster than potato, you’ll want to make sure the potato is soft before you blend.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Soup, Dinner
Method: Stove Top
Cuisine: American