I know it’s nearing the end of summer (please don’t hate me!) but that is all the reason we need to capture this time and make the most of it!
This fabulous late summer zucchini and corn soup is a perfect example of how you can grab some local ingredients and make this soup for the cooler nights – or even to enjoy in February when you’re really going to appreciate .
Let me tell you why you need to make this summer corn and zucchini soup:
- The farmers markets (and/or your backyard gardens) are brimming with the freshest produce…NOW is the time to buy-all-the-things!!
- Night are (finally) getting a bit cooler so we can all really enjoy a bowl of soup with our dinner!
- Looking forward to the fall when we all want a warm bowl of comfort, this is the time to make a double batch and freeze it for those days you’re hunkering for a bowl of this deliciousness.
Here are a few tips for picking out great corn (and two hacks!):
- Look at the husk – it should be bright green and tightly wrapped against the cob to show it’s fresh.
- Look at the tassels (things sticking out of the top) that are brown. If they are dry or black, the corn is old.
- And, for good measure, you can use this recipe to make stock out of the cobs once you’ve removed the kernels
- Aaaand, if you only want one or two cobs of corn, here’s a quick hack:
Now that I have you thinking about soup in the summer, here are a few other soups on the blog for you to try with all of this amazing produce:
Roasted Tomato Soup (with Aged Cheddar and Brown Butter Croutons
The Best Lentil Soup on the Planet!
Super Quick Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup
And don’t worry if you don’t have a garden! Here are just two of my fave farmers markets in my area:
Now that I have you in the right mindset for making soup in the summer, let’s get started!
Get all of your ingredients ready:
Once you have everything ready, pulling this fabulous zucchini and corn soup together is so easy…you literally add in all of your ingredients to a pot and stir…in a total of 20 minutes, you will have this delicious soup!
Let me give you a hack for making a creamy soup without using cream:
- sometimes, just pureeing half of your vegetable soup will give you the ‘feeling’ of creaminess – but it might separate.
- adding potatoes to your soup (and pureeing half) will give you a silky creaminess without the cream.
- finally, if you want additional protein, the best way is to soak a handful of cashews in hot water while you are beginning the soup and then puree them just before you puree half of your soup mix (see video below)
Soup is always a great meal that I like to have stowed away in the freezer for those days that I’m in a hurry or just want something warm in my tummy! And the beauty of this soup (because it has no cream), it won’t separate after it’s been frozen. I say that’s a win-win!
And speaking about freezing, here is my method for freezing your soup. Ladle a couple of scoops (for one big hearty bowl) into a smaller sized freezer bag and try to squeeze all of the air out of it. Flatten it out and freeze it flat like this:
I like to freeze my soups like this for two reasons:
- first, it saves so much space (and if you want to see my nifty way of keeping all of these packets of soup, take a peak at this blogpost!!
- second, when you have soup frozen like this, it’s easier to combine two soups and make a new one (like, mixing a creamy mushroom soup with a minestrone soup is so epic!!).
So now that we’re ready, let’s grab that soup pot and let’s get cooking!!
Zucchini and Corn Soup
Ingredients
- 4 strips pancetta or bacon chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 large yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 stalks celery – finely diced
- 3 ears corn kernels removed from the cob
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped you can use 1/2 tsp dried and add it later with the other spices
- 5 cup chicken broth
- 2 tsp kosher sea salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 potatoes peeled and cut into small cubes (russets work best)
- 1/2 tsp paprika I used smoked paprika because I used pancetta which is not smoked
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 large zucchini cut into quarters lengthwise, then sliced
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup cashews (optional)
Instructions
- Set a large pot over medium heat; add pancetta and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Add onion, garlic and celery, cook for 3 minutes, then add corn and parsley and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth and turn heat up to medium-high; when the mixture begins to bubble slightly, add the potatoes along with the salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.
- If you are adding the cashews, while the soup is cooking, soak the cashews in about 1/3 cup boiled water – soak them right in your blender or food processor.
- After the soup mixture has been cooking for 10 minutes, add the zucchini and cook until the potatoes are fork tender and the zucchini are fully cooked, about 10-12 more minutes. If your mixture isn't 'soupy enough, add up to 2 cups of additional water (re-season to taste)
- Transfer 1/3 – 1/2 of the mixture to your blender (add it right on top of your cashew mixture if using) and puree until silky smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Stir to combine, then remove from the heat.
- Serve the soup warm with some fresh bread and a side salad!
