Ingredients
| 1kg zucchini | |
| 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling | |
| 1 teaspoon salt | |
| 3 spring onions, sliced | |
| 3 cloves garlic, sliced | |
| a pinch chilli flakes | |
| a good handful basil leaves, shredded | |
| 1 medium potato, peeled, cut into 1cm cubes | |
| 600ml vegetable or chicken stock | |
| 100g crème fraîche or cream | |
| a squeeze lemon juice | |
| ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped | |
| 2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme leaves |
Summer soups, which can be served either warm or chilled depending on your preference, are brilliant for using up a lot of zucchini. I used basil here as the main herb, but sometimes I use mint instead. If you have any zucchini flowers, tear them into shreds and add to the soup at the end. I’m lucky enough that my local BeaBea’s Bakery makes a truly exceptional chewy crusted baguette that I think is perfect for mopping up the soup. I have been known to turn any leftover soup into a pasta sauce with an addition of more fried zucchini to the mix.
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Instructions
| 1. | Trim and cut the zucchini into quarters lengthwise, then chop into smaller pieces. |
| 2. | Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wide pan over a low heat and add the zucchini and salt. Cook until lightly coloured, about 10 minutes. |
| 3. | Add the spring onions, garlic, chilli flakes and half the basil and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. |
| 4. | Add the potato and stock and bring up to a gentle simmer. |
| 5. | Cook for 15-20 minutes until the zucchini and potato are very tender. |
| 6. | Blitz around 2 cups of the mix in a blender or food processor with the crème fraîche and return to the pan. |
| 7. | Season to taste and loosen with extra stock or water to your desired consistency. |
| 8. | You might want to add a squeeze of lemon here to add some brightness. |
| 9. | Mix the olives with the thyme and remaining olive oil. |
| 10. | Serve the soup either hot, at room temperature or chilled with a little ice. |
| 11. | Just before serving add a spoonful of olives to each bowl and add the remaining shredded basil. |
| 12. | Drizzle with extra olive oil to serve. If you prefer you could make the olives into a finer paste to spread over slices of baguette. |
Recipes & food styling Ginny Grant / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Jessica Crowe