I feel like Mary Poppins would be a really wonderful soup maker.
I’m not talking about the spoonful of sugar.
It’s that magical purse she carries around. If she can pull a coat rack and house plant out of her nanny bag, imagine the things she could coax from a giant soup pan. Dreams! I imagine the most lovely and effortlessly delicious soup, with a dash of cream like whaaat!?
Wait… can Mary Poppins make us all soup forever and always?
I wonder if Mary Poppins has wasabi peas and a baguette in her purse. Probably.
I made this soup on a day that I needed soup… and a day when I needed soup to be easy.
This zucchini soup went from coarsely chopped veggies, to a hot broth bath, to blender soup magic. It’s incredibly simple and majorly satisfying.
This soup can be as meaty or vegan as you’d like. It’s entirely flexible. Chicken stock versus vegetable stock. Butter versus olive oil. A sprinkling of parmesan cheese or a smattering of chopped toasted almonds. Tarragon is essential. It has a bright anise-like flavor that really compliments the base zucchini flavor.
Adding a bit of cream to finish is decadent, but the soup is dang delicious without it. I made the soup with and without cream and I happened to eat the entire bowl of cream-laced soup… just sayin’.
This soup recipe comes from the center of my stack of Spring reading inspiration. The new Daphne Oz book, Relish is disarmingly sweet and has some really lovely recipes that inspire sharing and caring. Also… I think reread East Of Eden because it tears my heart apart then puts it back together-ish. Lastly, kitten toe hair is a thing. I can’t deal (but I can).
Creamy Zucchini Tarragon Soup
recipe from Relish
serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium sweet yellow onion, about 1 1/2 cups
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4 medium zucchini, chopped, about 5 cups
2 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
salt and fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream, optional
white truffle oil for garnish, optional
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Add zucchini and tarragon leaves and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until zucchini is cooked through and soft.
Transfer soup to a blender, place a towel over the blender and puree until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender. Return the soup to the pot and stir in cream, if using. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a drizzle of white truffle oil and a few tarragon leaves.
R Watson
Love this soup. So good.
Margaret Bloomer
Please amend your ‘print the receipt’ programme. It wasted 3 sheets of my printer paper and ink with ‘junk’ before printing the actual recipe. But I do look look forward to trying it!
joythebaker
so sorry about that margaret.
Amy
Everything that I’ve tried of yours has been delicious and this is no exception!! Now I finally know what to do with all those zucchini from the garden this summer! I need to buy every cookbook you have stat- keep up the good work ????
joythebaker
Thank you so much Amy! That’s so sweet Amy! Good thing I have two books out, and working on a third!
Aqiyl Aniys | Natural Life Energy
This soup looks fabulous, and I love zucchini! Thanks
Sara Dankert
My 2 year old LOVES this soup … and we had a hearty tarragon crop this year, so I’ve been making it constantly. One thing I do differently – I wait to add the tarragon until the soup is done but before I puree it. The hot soup still takes on the tarragon flavor, but it’s a lot brighter.
Angela
Joy,
If you had to choose 2 books for a wannabe baker/pastry chef – what would you choose?
Sara Dankert
I love this soup. I just threw a jalapeno in the pot. I’m not sorry. :)