A creamy and luxurious soup that is dairy-free and gluten-free! Loaded with summer garden vegetables, this Creamy Zucchini Tomato Soup is quick to make and actually very filling and refreshing for an easy, breezy hot summer night.
In case you missed it, we have been celebrating the fabulous zucchini around here. Today I have a simple zucchini tomato soup for you. It’s creamy but dairy-free, brothy, fresh-tasting, and insanely delicious. A drizzle of bright green basil oil makes it extra special and gives the soup great depth of flavour. Serve the soup topped with quinoa for a hearty, yet light and refreshing meal. I tend to make a big pot because leftovers are fabulous for days.
About This Creamy Zucchini Tomato Soup Recipe
Let’s talk about this soup! It makes the most of zucchini, sweet summer tomatoes, and bell peppers that are bolstered with onion, garlic, and fresh herbs. The soup owes its rich and complex flavour to the technique of cooking down the vegetables, covered, before any liquid is added. This allows for the vegetables to mingle in their own juices and become more intensely flavoured.
Once the vegetables have cooked down, only 1 cup of liquid is added to make this soup. This is only possible because zucchini and tomatoes have a high moisture content and release a lot of liquid when gently cooked. When blended into a smooth purée, the result is a rich and velvety soup with an incredibly creamy texture and flavour. So easy and utterly delicious!
Ingredients And Notes
This brothy soup relies on the high moisture content of the zucchini and the tomatoes. For this reason, I can’t offer any substitutes or variations for the vegetables as it could alter the structure of it detrimentally. That being said, once the soup is blended, it becomes endlessly adaptable: make it spicy with harissa, red chili flakes, or hot smoked paprika. Stir in spinach or kale and top with a cooked grain, croutons, pesto, crumbly cheese, or a drizzle of coconut cream.
Here are the ingredients you will need:
- Zucchini – For this soup you will need 3 small/medium zucchini, or two medium. Avoid the larger zucchini which contain too much moisture.
- Tomatoes – Go for the most ripe, flavourful, tomatoes you can get your hands on. The sweeter the better.
- Red bell pepper – A sweet bell pepper adds a lot of flavour to this soup. You can use yellow or orange but red adds a little more colour.
- Onion and garlic – The aromatics that add the most flavour to the soup.
- Fresh Herbs – I like this soup with oregano, thyme, and basil. I have a lot of fresh herbs in my veg-pod right now so I like to add them to everything I cook. But dried herbs will work just as well.
- Low-sodium vegetable broth – You could use water in a pinch, but I prefer broth for a little more flavour. My favourite store-bought brand is this one.
- Kosher Salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper – Season this soup generously – tomatoes and zucchini shine when seasoned properly.
- Basil oil – If you have an abundance of basil growing in your garden, make a batch of basil oil. It’s divinely delicious drizzled over this creamy zucchini tomato soup. You can also buy basil oil but it is really easy to make – recipe included in recipe card. If you don’t want to make the basil oil, simply add some fresh basil leaves to the soup before blending.
- Cooked quinoa or other grain – Optional, for serving.
Make the Creamy Zucchini Tomato Soup
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and salt and cook until the onions have slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and bell pepper and stir to coat in the oil. Stir in the tomatoes and fresh herbs and cook until the vegetables start to just slightly break down when you stir them, about 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Add the vegetable stock and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat again to medium-low. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are really soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Use a blender, or immersion blender, and puree the soup until completely smooth. If using a blender, it is best to puree the hot soup in two batches then add back to the soup pot. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. If necessary, add a 1/4 cup more vegetable broth or water to loosen the soup. I have never had to add more liquid but this may depend on how juicy your vegetables were. Gently reheat soup until warmed through.
- Serve the soup hot topped with quinoa, a drizzle of basil oil, and crusty bread on the side, if desired.
What To Serve With Creamy Zucchini Tomato Soup
As mentioned above, we love this soup topped with quinoa to make it a. I love how not only hearty and filling it makes this vegan soup, but also extra delicious. It would also be great with farro, brown rice, or barley.
Without the quinoa, this creamy zucchini tomato soup can also be served as a starter or a side to a light main dish such as grilled cheese sandwich, mushroom tacos, or a crustless quiche. I can attest the soup is also heavenly with a side of these zucchini fries – yum!
To Store, Freeze, And Reheat
This creamy zucchini and tomato soup makes the best lunches ever so I’m always happy to make a big batch.
- To store: Store any leftovers in individual airtight containers for easy lunch-prep, and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: The soup freezes well. Allow to cool completely then transfer to 1 large freezer-safe container, or several individual containers, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: Place soup in a small saucepan on the stovetop and heat gently until warmed through. Or use the microwave if that is more convenient.
If you give this Creamy Zucchini Tomato Soup recipe a try, please feel free to leave a comment and/or a star rating below. We appreciate and welcome all your feedback. Thank you!
Creamy Zucchini and Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 3 small/medium zucchini, roughly chopped
- 3 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 red sweet bell pepper, roughly chopped or use yellow, or orange pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme, oregano or a mix or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 cup cooked quinoa, or other grain (optional, for serving)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, if not using basil oil
Basil oil to serve (optional-but delicioius)
- 1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
Make the Basil Oil
- If making the basil oil, prepare a medium bowl of ice water. In a small saucepan, bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Add the basil and blanch for 30 seconds. Remove from the water with a strainer or slotted spoon and plunge into the ice water. Drain and squeeze the basil with your hands to remove excess water. Place the basil and salt in a blender or mini food processor. With the machine running, slowly add 1/3 cup of olive oil. Purée until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer to a glass jar or small squeeze bottle, and use immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days. (See notes on blanching basil.)
Make the Soup
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and salt and cook until the onions have slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and bell pepper and stir to coat in the oil. Stir in the tomatoes and fresh herbs and cook until the vegetables start to just slightly break down when you stir them, about 4-5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add the vegetable stock and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat again to medium-low. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are really soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add basil leaves, if not making basil oil.
- Use a blender, or immersion blender, and puree the soup until completely smooth. If using a blender, it is best to puree the hot soup in two batches then add back to the soup pot.
- Season with salt, red pepper flakes (if using), and freshly ground black pepper. If necessary, add a 1/4 cup more vegetable broth or water to loosen the soup. (I have never had to add more liquid but this may depend on how juicy your vegetables are.) Gently reheat until completely warmed through.
- Serve the soup hot topped with cooked quinoa, if using, a drizzle of basil oil, and crusty bread on the side, if desired.
Notes
- To store: Store any leftovers in individual airtight containers for easy lunch-prep, and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: The soup freezes well. Allow to cool completely then transfer to 1 large freezer-safe container, or several individual containers, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: Place soup in a small saucepan on the stovetop and heat gently until warmed through. Or use the microwave if that is more convenient.
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