Italian style zucchini and parmesan cheese soup
It’s rare for me to feel constrained by ingredient supply or immature palates when I cook, but choosing a Neil Perry recipe to prepare for this month’s Cookbook Guru has been quite tricky.
I love soups and braises when the weather is cold and squally, dinner that will warm me to the tips of my toes, but the grandkids like to see their meat and veg side by side, with only gentle spice or subtle herb flavours. Perry is the master of “big” flavours and I like peace at meal times.
Compounding my indecision has been the deep winter slumber of our small coastal village. Mainstream grocery supplies and basic fresh fruit and veg is all that’s available until the tourists return.
These limiting options led me to Perry’s Italian Style Zucchini and Parmesan Soup, from a 2011 edition of the Good Weekend Magazine. It’s lucky I’d brought a good sized chunk of Parmagiano Reggiano with me from the city.
To comply with my FODMAP diet, I’ve modified the gut irritating onion and garlic component of the ingredient list and rather than losing the delicious fresh flavour of my entire, expensive out of season bunch of basil during cooking, I kept some aside to use as a chiffonade garnish and to freshen the flavour. The cream and butter, added exactly as specified by the recipe made the soup quite rich. Next time I’ll omit the butter and use lactose free milk for creaminess instead.
We enjoyed our warming bowl of Italian style zucchini and parmesan cheese soup for lunch, the kids were happy and I have a Neil Perry post to submit to the July Cookbook Guru hosted by Leah. It’s free, it’s fun and anyone can join with the other food bloggers from around the world as they cook and post about their experience with Neil Perry’s “The Food I Love.”
Now, back to the books to find a satisfying recipe for grown ups.
750g green zucchini, cut into 1cm thick pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 spring onions, green tops only
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 bunch basil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1litre of chicken stock
125ml cream
40g unsalted butter, chopped
40g parmesan, grated, plus extra for garnish
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the zucchini, green onion tops and garlic. Cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the basil leaves and stock, cover the pot, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 10-15 minutes.
Thoroughly puree the soup with a stick blender.
Stir in the butter, cream and cheese.
Serve with a basil chiffonade garnish.
Serves 8
About ladyredspecs
21 comments on “Italian style zucchini and parmesan cheese soup”
Leave a comment
Creative Commons Copyright Licence
Please Pass the Recipe by Sandra Gay is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Please Pass the Recipe 
Reblogged this on The Cookbook Guru and commented:
Our very first contribution of the month with a warming and luscious soup recipe that is sure to please the adults and kids at the table.
Enjoy, Leah
LikeLike
yum, this sounds delicious. I forget to make soup from zucchini’s, but with this luscious recipe I’m thinking I might have to add it to my list. love the photo. Reblogging this now for The Cookbook Guru.
LikeLike
Thanks Leah, leave the butter out, IMO it’s not necessary, but good zucchini soup is delish! Xx
LikeLike
That looks wonderful! I am looking forward to trying it. Soup from scratch is so much more rewarding, isn’t it?
LikeLike
You’re so right Claudia, no manufactured soup ever tasted this good!
LikeLike
I love butter in soups. Adding cheese gives a whole new demension too. Yum!
LikeLike
Butter in a soup was a first for me, it certainly made for a rich velvety texture
LikeLike
Looks so yummy and full of goodness. xox
LikeLike
Thanks Lidia, delicious and warming. Nice to hear from you..
LikeLike
Oh, so satisfying! I love soup and this one looks wonderful (and easy!). Surely, it was good for the adult palate as well? A true test for a cook is working with limited ingredients to hand and it looks like you came through with an A*.
LikeLike
Thanks Deb, you’re very kind. Yes it’s a soup for grown ups too, thankfully. I do find myself carrying bags full of ingredients from the city to the coast, just in case.
Derby & Joan again after today, thanks goodness, the kids are stir crazy because the weather has been awful
LikeLike
I was thinking the same thoughts as Darya. But instead of decadent I was thinking luscious. This is a wonderful soup Sandra. I love soup anytime of the year.
LikeLike
Just read your corn soup post! I love soup too, there’s always some in the fridge for a quick lunch when the weather is cold. Zucchini soup is a personal favourite, it carries so many different herbs and spices brilliantly making it infinitely variable.
LikeLike
My Littlies love this soup too. I suspect you are back at the beachhouse- do I see lovely faded wooden boards in the back drop? How is the weather down there at AB? I am sure it is more pleasant than winter in Melbourne and a lovely bowl of soup would be perfect.
LikeLike
Yes we’re at AB. It’s been cold, very wet and also very windy, but we’ve managed a few walks in the sun on the beach. With the woodheater and soup, we’re keeping the chill at bay
LikeLike
Great work on ‘kidlitting’ a Neil Perry recipe! Looks delish.
LikeLike
Thanks Cheery…
LikeLike
I take big city living so much for granted so it’s only when I read posts like yours that I remember what it’s like to have limited availability/opening hours/a few hours without sirens! Soup looks delicious and might be rather nice cold too. Keep meaning to join Cookbook Guru. This may be the month!!
LikeLike
I’m a city girl too and get quite frustrated with the winter limitations here, though really it’s a small price to pay for the beautiful holiday retreat in a pristine enviroment
LikeLike
This is so decadent with the addition of butter, cream, and cheese. And… I love it! I never think of soup when I have zucchini on hand, but this sounds both nutritious, and delicious.
LikeLike
I usually just throw soups together, adding butter AND cream was new for me and the result was a rich silky soup
LikeLike