RSS
Home
Summer squash taking over? Here's a recipe that'll make you crave zucchini
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Fresh ingredients for Summer Squash Soup.
Zucchini, and other summer squash, is either a summer delight or the bane of an uninspired green-thumb gardener. The difference is whether you’ve found good ways to use this easy-to-grow summer vegetable. Someone once said you could grow zucchini in a parking lot if you watered it.
Years ago, before I’d learned of the prolific capabilities of zucchini, I planted nine hills. I think the neighbors shushed their children and turned out the lights when they heard the squeak of my wagon. We resorted to carving zucchini boats and using them as bats. It’s much better to gather a collection of recipes and use all summer squash while they’re fresh and young. Of course zucchini bread is on the top of the list, followed closely by cake- either chocolate-zucchini or pineapple-zucchini. Zucchini lasagna is wonderful as is breaded fried zucchini.
Here’s an amazing soup recipe from the Ultimate Soup Bible by Anne Sheasby. My daughter made it recently and her six-year-old daughter licked it up. My 13 year-old was dubious when she heard I was going to try it. But her opinion was the same as that of her niece, “a superior summer soup!”
This recipe uses dried oregano. Fresh is just fine. I used three six-inch sprigs.
It also calls for dolcelatte cheese which may be difficult to find. Dolcelatte is Italian for “sweet milk.” It’s a soft blue-veined cow’s milk cheese. Gorgonzola is a recommended substitute and the cheese I used. I’m sure it induces a stronger flavor than the dolcelatte but I loved that blue cheese flavor in the soup.
When I don’t have the time or inclination to make my own vegetable stock, I use Superior Touch™ Better Than Bouillon vegetable base. It’s “made from seasoned, concentrated vegetables.” The first two ingredients are vegetables and concentrated vegetables unlike other bouillon bases that list salt first. I put about a tablespoon of this bouillon paste in 2 ½ cups of water for the required vegetable soup stock.
Another option for the vegetable soup stock is to make a mirepoix (mihr-pwah), a simple combination of onions, celery and carrots. Traditionally, in a ratio of 2:1:1, the vegetables are chopped fine and sautéed in butter. Water and seasoning are added to make the desired amount.
We enjoyed David’s Deli® Tuscan Herb bagels along with the soup. These flavorful bagels are made with sundried tomato, garlic, onion, oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme and parsley. A meal like this will transport you to dolcelatte land!
Summer Squash Soup
2 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
1 onion roughly chopped
2 pounds zucchini, or other summer squash, trimmed and sliced
1 t. dried oregano
2 1/2 c. vegetable soup stock
4 oz. dolcelatte cheese or gorgonzola
1 1/4 c. light cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
sprigs of fresh oregano and extra cheese to garnish
Heat the oil and butter in a large pan until foaming. Add chopped onion and
cook gently for about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and oregano, with salt and
pepper to taste, cook over medium heat for 10 minutes stirring to prevent
sticking. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Lower
the heat, half-cover the pan and simmer for 30 min. Add cheese, stir until
melted. Process soup in food processor until smooth. Put back on the stove,
add cream, and slowly bring back to temp, but don't boil. Taste and adjust
seasoning if necessary. Serve.
Click on the following links for more information.
Interested in a pesto-goat cheese pizza recipe? Check out the Organic Food Examiner's recipe.
For nutrition information on David’s Bagels®.
Interested in Anne Sheasby’s soup books?
Related Articles:
Comments
