Ingredients (~6-8 servings)
- 5 medium zucchini, chopped into half-moons (about 2 lbs)
- 1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed (1-inch pieces)
- 1 1/2 large yellow onions, diced (~2 cups)
- 5 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 6-8 fresh thyme sprigs
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 large Parmesan cheese rind (about 3-4 inches long)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Rinse the Starch and Sweat the Onions
Place the cubed potatoes in a bowl of cold water and agitate them to remove surface starch, then drain. If you skip this, the soup can turn gluey rather than creamy when pulverized.
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onions and a heavy pinch of salt. Cook for ~5-6 minutes until softened and translucent; do not let them brown, or it will muddy the color of the final soup.
Add the garlic and cook for 60 seconds until fragrant.
Soften the Zucchini
Add the chopped zucchini to the pot along with another hit of salt. Sauté for ~4-5 minutes.
You want the zucchini to release some of its moisture and start to soften, but you don’t need to fully cook it yet. This step concentrates the vegetable flavor slightly before you drown it in broth.
Simmer with the Rind
Add the rinsed potatoes, broth, onion powder, thyme sprigs, and the parmesan rind.
Bring the pot to a boil, then drop the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for ~25-30 minutes. The soup is ready for the blender when the potatoes mash easily against the side of the pot with a fork.
Remove the Aromatics and Blend
Fish out the woody thyme stems and the parmesan rind with tongs. The rind will be soft and gooey; scrape any melted cheese back into the pot before discarding the hard skin.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until completely smooth. If using a standard blender, work in batches and remove the center cap of the lid to let steam escape, covering the opening with a kitchen towel to prevent splashes.
Taste for seasoning. Zucchini needs significant salt to taste like anything, so be aggressive with the salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Creamy Parmesan Zucchini Soup
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6-8 servings)
- 5 medium zucchini about 2 lbs, chopped into half-moons
- 1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes 1-inch pieces, peeled and cubed
- 1 1/2 large yellow onions ~2 cups, diced
- 5 cloves garlic rough chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 6-8 fresh thyme sprigs
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 large Parmesan cheese rind about 3-4 inches long
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse potatoes in cold water to remove starch and drain.
- Heat olive oil in soup pot, sauté onions with salt for 5-6 minutes until translucent.
- Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
- Add zucchini, sauté 4-5 minutes.
- Add potatoes, broth, onion powder, thyme, and parmesan rind.
- Boil, then simmer covered 25-30 minutes until potatoes are tender.
- Remove thyme stems and parmesan rind.
- Blend soup until smooth using immersion blender.
- Season generously with salt and black pepper.
