Courgette Soup (Soups)

Member Name: emmachilcott

Product:	Soups
Date:	10/07/09 (517 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Healthy, easy, delicious

Disadvantages: None

I know that it is supposed to be the middle of summer, and usually in the summer, the last thing that you want to eat is a steaming bowl of soup. However, it's hardly scorching right now, and I've got a massive glut of courgettes ready and waiting on my vegetable plot. There are masses of things to do with courgettes, but one of my favourite has to be this soup.


There are no hard and fast rules with this soup, I have made it with varying quantities of the ingredients, depending on what I had to hand, and it has always turned out really well, but for ease so that you can follow the recipe, I would recommend the following:


*~* Ingredients *~*

4 large Potatoes (whatever variety you can get your hands on)
1 large Onion (or two small!)
6 medium sized Courgettes
1 tub of soft cheese - You can use it plain, or pick up the variety with garlic and herbs for more flavour, or low fat to make this even more healthy.
About 2 pints of your favourite stock
Seasoning

*~* Method*~*

I used to sauté off the vegetables before I simmered them, but one day I was short of time, so I simply threw everything into a stockpot and it turned out just as well, with less calories so here is my recommended method:

Put your stock on to boil in a large saucepan.

Peel and dice the potatoes and add to the pan.

Peel and dice the onion and add to the pan five minutes after the potatoes.

Wash and dice the courgettes, and add to the pan.

Allow to simmer for about twenty minutes, or until the potatoes are soft, Turn off the heat

Drain most off the stock, and save it, but leave about half a pint in with the cooked vegetables.

Blend the vegetables until you have a smooth mixture. I have a stick hand blender that I picked up for a fiver, and I find it absolutely invaluable when making soup.

When you are happy that all of the lumps have gone, turn the heat back on, and add the stock back in, until you get the desired consistency.

Blend in the soft cheese. I put in a quarter of the tub at a time and blend it in until it has melted, taste it, then keep adding it until I get the flavour that I want.

Bring back to the boil, season and serve, preferably with a fresh tin loaf.


The end result is a delicious fresh and filling soup, with a lovely green colour and smooth consistency, which has taken barely any effort to prepare, and is extremely healthy. The only downside to this soup is that once you have tried it, you will never want to go back to tinned - it tastes fake and watery in comparison!


You can also use leeks instead of courgettes, and take out the soft cheese, for an equally great soup.

Summary: A foolproof soup that is worth trying