Zucchini Soup

  

 

 

 

 In my ongoing attempts to have pre-vacation healthy eating in my life, I whipped up a batch of this zucchini soup. It’s actually an any-vegetable-you-like soup, I just happen to be a big ‘ole fan of the zucchini, so it’s what I made.

 

This recipe is super healthy, super easy, and super yummy.

 

The recipe originates from the Honorable Julia Child; my dad has made this soup for years, serving it a dinner parties or even just for the family. I know that he’s made it with lots of different veggies – carrot, celery – although I have a strong enough love for the zuc that, most often, I tend to make it this way.

 

An amazing fact about this recipe – it’s entirely dairy free, using rice as a thickener. If you wanted to go super healthy (and are trying to stay away from any white food) you could easily substitute brown rice.

 

While this is a Julia recipe, it was passed on to me from my dad’s memory, so I don’t know how exact the measurements are. Also, I’m quite sure that the specific language is Dad’s, and not Julia’s.

 

 

 Julia Child’s Basic Soup Recipe

 

oil

3 bullion cubes (or 8 cups of broth)

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 cup rice

1 1/2 lbs. of any vegetable

1/4 tsp. Champaign or white wine vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

sour cream or greek yogurt, optional

 

 

Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 3 bullion cubes, and simmer for 10 minutes (note: I use a vegetarian base – I add the base to cold water, whisk it in, and simmer the whole thing).

 

While the water heats, roughly chop 1 large onion. In another pot over medium high heat, coat the bottom of the pot with oil. Add the onion, and wait for it to sizzle. When it does, cover the pot, reducing the heat to the lowest setting, and let the onions sweat for about 10 minutes, stirring a few times. Next, add the broth and bring it to a boil. Add 1/2 cup rice (cheap rice works great), return to a boil, then cover the pot, returning the heat again to the lowest setting, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

 

While the rice cooks, steam 1 1/2 lbs. of your vegetable until soft. Scoop the broth and the vegetable into a blender (or put the veggies into the broth and use your immersion blender), and blend the holy hell out of it.

 

Season with about 1/4 teaspoon of Champaign or white wine vinegar, and add salt and pepper to taste. I also like to serve it with a dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt.

 

 

 

Posted on February 28, 2012
This entry was posted in dinner, healthy, quick and easy and tagged healthy, soup, vegan, zucchini.