It won’t be long now until zucchinis start ripening.
It won’t be long before they’re dominating your backyard garden or overflowing at the farmer’s market, growing to sizes larger that you could have imagined. When we hit that point in the summer, you’ll have so many options. You can grill them, bake them, make them into fritters or terrines, or cook them down into ratatouille.
Or, you can go a different route and make zucchini gazpacho.
Gazpacho is a cold Spanish soup typically made with tomatoes. I’ve posted my Mexican and Asian interpretations of the soup before, but this time around, I wanted to go green.
This light, earthy, super healthy soup uses up a heap of zucchinis and adds tons of herbs. Topped with a couple toasted pine nuts and some lemon zest, this is what summer is supposed to taste like. It’s incredibly simple to make—all you need to do is cook down the zucchinis and then let them cool. Then, dump in the remaining ingredients and give them a whirl with your immersion blender or food processor until you’ve got something smooth.
Eat this soup sitting on your patio. Sunglasses on, white wine in hand.
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2¼ pounds zucchini, coarsely chopped
- Kosher salt
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup fresh mint
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add all zucchini minus ¼ cup (you'll use this as garnish) to pan. Cook until zucchini is soft and tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
- In a small saucepan, toast pine nuts for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from heat.
- Once zucchinis have cooled, add cilantro, parsley, mint, olive oil, lemon juice, and water to saucepan. Puree using an immersion blender until smooth. Alternatively, you can use a food processor. If soup seems too thick, add additional water. Adjust salt to taste.
- Garnish soup with remaining raw zucchini, pine nuts, and lemon zest.
amazing photos!
writes AquasanThank you, Aquasan!
writes VickyGazpacho is a soup made of raw vegetables
writes asdfThat is true, but this is a creative interpretation :). That’s what makes having a food blog interesting.
writes VickyWhat a beautiful looking soup! I would have never thought to make gazpacho with zucchini.. Great idea! I’ll have to give it a try as we’re transitioning into warmer weather. I love my soup!
writes veegan315[…] kind of salad. If you’re feeling more ambitious, try Pisto Manchego, pureeing them into a gazpacho, or grilling them up with some eggplant and a lovely za’atar […]
writes Farmer's Market & CSA Series {Week 6} - Things I Made Today[…] is just soup-er. Recipe here […]
writes 29 Of The Most Delicious Things You Can Do To Zucchini - Seatbelt Guitar[…] Zucchini gazpacho […]
writes Farmer's Market & CSA Series {Week 12} - Things I Made Today[…] Zucchini Gazpacho […]
writes Farmer's Market & CSA Series {Week 18} + A Tour of King's Hill Farm - Things I Made TodayDid I miss something, or where is the Spinach?
writes Tarik Al-AniHmm no spinach here – just zucchini and a lot of herbs!
writes VickyMade this gazpacho tonight with homemade meatballs and rosemary crackers delish! I also added jalapeños for a bit of heat
writes Danielle Marie Waldal