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Creamy Zucchini and Basil Soup

September 10, 2009 By Susan Voisin 109 Comments
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Creamy Zucchini and Basil Soup

While I personally didn’t manage to coax a single squash out of my insect-infested garden this summer, some of you are lucky enough to be reaping in piles of the stuff. So the zucchini part of this recipe is for you. The basil part of it is for me: next to okra, it’s the most prolific crop I managed to grow this year. Combined, the two summery ingredients seem made for each other, the basil lending its pungent pepperiness to the bland zucchini.

Basil may provide the predominant flavor in this lively soup, but zucchini is the main ingredient. After cooking, it’s blended until smooth with the basil and other seasonings, and then the soup is served with strands of raw, shredded zucchini. The thin shreds soften in the hot soup but still retain some crunch.

We loved this creamy zucchini soup. Even E, who usually avoids zucchini, finished her first bowl and went back for seconds. She described it as “like pesto in soup form,” and she’s right. We ate it as a starter course, but add some white beans and you’ve got a heartier, main dish soup. Give it a try before zucchini and basil go out of season.

Creamy Zucchini and Basil Soup

Creamy Zucchini and Basil Soup
5 from 11 votes
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Creamy Zucchini and Basil Soup

Cashews provide the creaminess but also virtually all of the fat. Omit them if you like, or substitute a few tablespoons of plain soy yogurt.
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes minutes
Total Time 35 minutes minutes
Servings 6
Author Susan Voisin

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds zucchini (about 5 small to medium)
  • 1 large Vidalia onion , chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic , crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 3 cups vegetable broth (I used Imagine No-Chicken)
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves , packed
  • 3 tablespoons raw cashews
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • additional salt & pepper , to taste
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Instructions

  • Set aside one of the zucchini; trim and coarsely chop the rest.
  • Cook onion in a large saucepan for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the chopped zucchini, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the broth and simmer until zucchini is tender, about 15 minutes.
  • Pour into a blender (in 2 batches, if necessary) taking care to avoid burns by not filling the blender more than halfway. Add the basil, cashews, and nutritional yeast and blend until smooth.
  • Return soup to the pot, season with salt and pepper to taste, and keep warm. Shred the remaining zucchini with a spiral slicer, mandolin, or grater. Pour soup into bowls and sprinkle grated zucchini over top.
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Zucchini and Basil Soup
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 128 Calories from Fat 60
% Daily Value*
Fat 6.7g10%
Sodium 438mg19%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 3g13%
Protein 6g12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

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Zucchini is blended until smooth with basil, sweet onions, and cashews, and the zucchini soup is served with strands of raw, shredded zucchini. Vegan and gluten-free.

Filed Under: Recipes, Soups Tagged With: Eat-to-Live, Gluten-free, Higher-fat, Pesto, Vita-Mix, Zucchini and Summer Squash

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Snoozer von Grimlock WackyPig 3

    September 14, 2009 at 12:33 pm

    This recipe is truly delicious and so simple! I followed the directions precisely (which is not my normal course of action), and I don't think I would do anything differently. I'm hoping zucchinis will still be on sale next week when I go shopping again. What a great use of the basil I have growing in my window 🙂

    Reply
  2. KamalKitchen

    September 14, 2009 at 1:41 pm

    Looks great, Susan!Looks quite thick too.

    thanks,
    pb

    Reply
  3. aprilstarchild

    September 14, 2009 at 8:23 pm

    Just made this, except due to a housemate's allergy I used pine nuts instead of cashews, and put them in a food processor first. I also added a can of white beans, as suggested.

    Delicious! Although not quite as creamy as your picture, but I was using a food processor instead of a vita-mix or other blender.

    Next time I might reduce the amount of broth, and add soymilk later, to make it even creamier-tasting.

    Reply
  4. K

    September 15, 2009 at 5:08 pm

    I have no nutritional yeast..? What can I sub for it? (Cheese eater here…)

    Reply
  5. Andy

    September 15, 2009 at 5:40 pm

    We had a variant on this tonight – we used leeks instead of onions because we had leeks… was lovely. Thanks.

    Reply
  6. jamiefriggin

    September 15, 2009 at 9:16 pm

    Mmmmm, Susan! Made this tonight and just finished my first bowl. Will now go back for seconds. Outstanding! Thanks for sharing all of these terrific recipes!

    Reply
  7. Elle

    September 17, 2009 at 7:36 pm

    Wow! What a great tasting, creamy soup. I made this tonight and added white beans. It has been husband-approved! Thanks for sharing your recipes with all of us.

    Reply
  8. Snooze

    September 24, 2009 at 5:49 pm

    Whooeeey this is a good one! Being a true Vitamix junkie myself, I always enjoy testing it's limits to all the amazing things it does, so I just jammed all of the ingredients in it raw, put it on high until steamy and mmmmmm love love love! Thanks Susan!

    Reply
  9. Tiffany S.

    September 27, 2009 at 11:03 am

    This looks delicious! I can't wait to try it.

    Nutritional yeast is one of those funny additions – it tastes yucky by itself but add it to a dish and it adds that extra pow. It's like a healthy MSG. I love it now though I was skeptical at first (and it's not cheap).

    Reply
  10. katherine

    September 29, 2009 at 12:37 pm

    i made this last night…i added a can of cannelloni beans into the blender as well…it made the soup just a bit thicker.

    Reply
  11. Fayinagirl (means Free One)

    October 1, 2009 at 9:34 pm

    I absolutely LOVE the color of this dish! It looks so inviting.

    Reply
  12. KatieScarlett

    October 6, 2009 at 7:22 pm

    Well, it's garden harvesting time and my counter is buried in zucchini and basil – and this recipe is a HUGE find!

    I had to make adjustments because I'm allergic to onions and garlic and it still turned out fabulous I peeled and seeded the zucchinis, used carrot juice and water instead of broth, and added a litte bit of mace because of the carrot juice. After pressure cooking the whole thing, I added cashew butter, nutritional yeast, and some pepper. Oh my gosh it is SO good! I'm so happy to have so many zucchinis because now I can fill the freezer with this super great soup.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  13. KatieScarlett

    October 6, 2009 at 11:31 pm

    p.s. I forgot to mention that I added lentils to the soup also. After pressure cooking and blending the soup the lentils added a thickness and richness. Yum.

    Reply
  14. ben

    October 8, 2009 at 5:57 am

    Recipe looks great, gonna' hafta' give it a try.

    Reply
  15. Laina

    October 13, 2009 at 10:21 pm

    Susan, this recipe is sooooooo delicious. It's another favorite. I blogged about it. 🙂 http://eats2live.blogspot.com/2009/10/susan-vs-creamy-zucchini-and-basil-soup.html

    I really appreciate the benefits received from your vast supply of wonderful recipes.

    Do you have another recipe you can think of that uses lots of basil. Love that herb. 🙂

    Thanks,
    Laina

    Reply
  16. Coupe Studios Music and Sound Design

    October 14, 2009 at 6:31 pm

    Made this last night with the last of the year's zucchinis, and it was a huge hit! Stuck mostly with the ingredients you suggested, but went extra heavy on the yeast and added a carrot. Thanks for posting!

    Reply
  17. sky goddess

    February 1, 2010 at 5:56 am

    Thank you so much for this recipe, Thanks, I have now finally found a way to get my daughter to eat courgettes 🙂 We're getting about four a day and there's only the two of us! I used miso for stock (but only about two cups) and some salted mixed nuts as that is what was in the cupboard, so I didn't add more salt. I also put in half a box of silken tofu (cos it needed using up) and extra cumin after tasting. Very yummy!

    Reply
  18. Lora

    April 16, 2010 at 12:09 pm

    I tried it was great

    Reply
  19. Amy

    April 22, 2010 at 5:08 pm

    My husband loves pesto and he gave this soup a big thumb’s up. We added a cup of white beans and 1/2 tsp of cayenne. Thanks for the great and easy recipe.

    Reply
  20. Ms_Min

    July 11, 2010 at 4:11 pm

    This is my new favorite way to eat zucchini. Yummy!

    Reply
  21. Heather (Where's the Beach)

    July 22, 2010 at 2:21 pm

    Oh this sounds fantastic. I have been craving zucchini – probably because I am out of them right now.

    Reply
  22. Karen

    July 30, 2010 at 4:13 pm

    I made this soup last week with my farmer’s market finds. I love the basil! I brought it to work and my coworkers said it smelled wonderful, if only they knew how good it tasted! Thank you so much for posting this.

    Reply
  23. Jess

    August 4, 2010 at 9:45 am

    Yet another wonderful recipe! I used toasted pine nuts instead of the cashews, and it tasted SO good! I also subbed a mixture of celery and carrots for the onion (allergic). I’m going to make this over and over, since my CSA keeps sending me pounds and pounds of zucchini 😛

    Reply
  24. Barna

    August 8, 2010 at 7:31 pm

    just made this recipe tonight – both my hubby and I loved it! didn’t change a thing. will definitely be making it again. love your website!

    Reply
  25. Victoria

    September 28, 2010 at 3:03 pm

    I’m going to be making this lovely soup this week and will be leaving out the cashews 🙁 in order to reduce the fats. Is there something else I should consider adding instead?

    Great site! Made your Rainy Day Lentil Soup last night and it was terrific!

    Reply
    • SusanV

      September 28, 2010 at 3:39 pm

      I would probably just add a touch more nutritional yeast. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  26. janet

    October 5, 2010 at 7:09 am

    I really liked this soup. Thank you for introducing me to nutritional yeast.. and such a simple, but tasty soup. 🙂

    Reply
  27. janet

    October 5, 2010 at 7:09 am

    Oh yeah, I wrote about it here: http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/creamy-zucchini-and-basil-soup/

    Reply
  28. Vibha

    December 16, 2010 at 5:34 am

    This is absolutely fantastic! I made it last night. My dad who rarely asks for a repeat to be made a few days, has asked for one!

    This is so filling, satisfying and healthy! I think this is going to be my next comfort food!

    Vibha

    Reply
  29. Linda

    June 21, 2011 at 12:31 pm

    This is a great recipe! The texture reminded me of cream of broccoli soup. I suspect on a cold winter’s day it would be even more satisfying. Sometimes it’s the texture of food you crave. The cashews produces a great cream, better than tofu, oats, or anything else I’ve tried.

    Reply
  30. Bethany Luti

    July 3, 2011 at 4:17 pm

    This was delicious! My store was out of raw cashews so I used unsalted roasted cashews. Amazing that it was so creamy, yet not a drop of cream! I am not vegan or vegetarian, but I am looking for ways to eat less meat and more vegetables…thank you!

    Reply
  31. jpham

    July 28, 2011 at 1:14 pm

    This was amazing! My only sub was I was out of cashews so I put 4 oz ff cottage cheese in for creaminess. I know not vegan, but I’m veg so works for me and got rid of the pesky fat.

    Reply
  32. Suzanne

    July 30, 2011 at 8:08 pm

    This recipe was a hit at our Vegan/Vegetarian tasting party. I had some very large zucchini from my CSA so I deciped to look on the internet for a recipe. Very tasty. Thanks.

    Reply
  33. Julie & Marty

    August 9, 2011 at 8:44 pm

    This was fantastic! Love it! Very, very tasty! Didn’t have raw cashews on hand so substituted tahini and that worked out great.

    Reply
  34. tandteacake

    August 19, 2011 at 5:25 pm

    I just love this recipe, Susan! And I’m not a vegan. 😉

    In fact, I love it so much that I had to do a post about it:
    http://tandteacake.blogspot.com/2011/08/creamy-zucchini-and-basil-soup.html

    Thank you,
    Tobias

    Reply
  35. Christine

    August 20, 2011 at 9:11 pm

    My whole family loved this soup….next time I will make double.
    Thank you!

    Reply
  36. Sue Bair

    September 13, 2011 at 10:55 am

    Oh Yummy this looks great!

    Reply
  37. Leena Komaraaju

    September 23, 2011 at 12:10 am

    Hi Thanks for recipe for this extremely delicious zucchini and basil soup. To add to your marvelous recipe, I would like to share something on the health benefits of basil in particular which is a remarkable medicinal herb. It can also be made into a soup on its own. http://tinyurl.com/3uz4zzw.

    Reply
  38. Amelia

    March 20, 2012 at 7:00 pm

    I just finished a giant bowl of your soup. It’s so good! I had to stop myself from eating the whole pot. Thank you.

    Reply
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