Summer Vegetable Soup With Zucchini

Ingredients

Serves 2–3.

• 1 large onion
• 1–2 garlic cloves
• 2 medium potatoes
• 3 small zucchini
• 1 large leek
• 1 carrot
• Up to 1 teaspoon organic vegetable broth powder, as needed
• 2 tablespoons crème fraîche, plus 2–3 teaspoons for serving
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Fresh herbs such as chives, parsley, or thyme

Method

1. Heat a little olive oil in a large saucepan.
2. Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic, then sauté them in the olive oil.
3. Peel the potatoes, cut them into small cubes, and add them to the saucepan.
4. Clean and dry the zucchini, then cut them into small pieces. Clean the leek and slice its white and light-green portions into rings. Peel the carrot and cut it into thin slices.
5. Add the zucchini, leek, and carrot to the saucepan. Stir and cook the vegetables for a few minutes.
6. Pour in approximately 1.5 litres of boiling water. Stir in the vegetable broth powder if needed.
7. Cover the saucepan and simmer gently for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
8. Blend the soup directly in the saucepan until smooth.
9. Season with salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg, then stir in 2 tablespoons of crème fraîche.
10. Divide the soup among large bowls. Top each serving with a small spoonful of crème fraîche and sprinkle with freshly chopped herbs. Serve immediately.

Serving and Storage

The soup is aromatic when freshly prepared and also tastes good after reheating. Its flexible vegetable base can be varied according to what is available.