Last summer, I had a lucky opportunity to spend a few weeks in
France visiting vineyards, tasting wine, and of course eating great food.
Whenever I travel, I come back with a list of recipes that I might want to
recreate. Very often, the ones I actually end up making in my kitchen… the ones
that stand out in my memory the most… are the simplest.
Jack met me toward the end of the trip which left me with some time
alone in Paris while waiting for his flight to arrive. I knew exactly how
to spend the day – I headed to the store Merci. Have you been there? It an
Insta-worthy store full of home goods galore and it’s the sort of place that
you should go to without your significant other because he’ll
likely get impatient while you’re looking at every beautiful bowl, spoon, and
table-scape. They also have the cutest little library-themed
cafe that was just perfect for my afternoon alone. The soup
du jour was zucchini basil soup. “It’s a cold soup,” the waiter warned me
before I ordered it. I thought – great, I love gazpacho. But when it came it
wasn’t gazpacho at all – it wasn’t ice cold and it wasn’t too acidic. It was
this lovely bright green room temperature soup served with toasted garlic bread
and it was perfect.
I’m not sure what took me so long to make this soup at home but
when method reached out wanting to partner on a series of
posts inspired by the herbal scents of their new kitchen hand wash, I immediately thought of this soup.
Their plant-derived formula is specifically made to get food scents off your
hands – especially pungent flavors like garlic. If you’ve ever gone to bed
(hours later) with garlic hands, you’ll appreciate this kitchen wash
Plus, the pretty basil bottle is pretty on your kitchen counter top.
I’ve tried to make basil soups before I realized that my mistake was in
trying to heat it. The basil gets bruised and it can turn bitter. By
keeping the soup at room temp (I like to serve it lightly chilled), it retains
all of its fresh, vibrant flavor. The only thing that gets cooked here are the
leeks (well, and the garlic-y croutons). After that, it all goes into the
blender and voila!
There’s no cream or cream substitute. The blended zucchini and a scoop of
hemp seeds makes this soup plenty creamy and, not to mention, light and
healthy.
For depth of flavor I added a scoop of white miso paste. To make it
bright, I added a bunch of lemon of course.
Blend until smooth and then add the basil last
so that it doesn’t get hot from the heat of the blender.
Top the soup with toasty garlic croutons –
this step is not optional. They really balance the “health” taste of this
soup and make it nicely substantial. As always, soups taste better on the
second day so this is a great make-ahead lunch option.
Zucchini
Basil Soup
Serves: serves 4
Ingredients
§ ⅔ cup sliced leeks (the tender white and light green
parts only)
§ extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
§ 1 garlic clove, chopped
§ 2 small zucchini, chopped + a few strands of
spiralized or julienned zucchini for garnish
§ ¼ cup hemp seeds
§ juice of ½ lemon, more to taste
§ ½ tablespoon miso paste
§ 1 cup water, more as needed for consistency
§ ½ cup packed fresh basil
§ sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
garlic croutons:
§ 2 cups cubed sourdough bread
§ ½ garlic clove, minced
§ Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
1.
Slice the white and light green parts of the
leek into rings. Rinse well, drain, and let dry.
2.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a small skillet
over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt and cook until very
soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Taste one, the leeks should be a bit translucent and
should not have a bitter taste. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30
seconds. Remove from the heat.
3.
In a blender, combine the leek mixture with
the zucchini, hemp seeds, lemon juice, miso, water and a few grinds of pepper
and blend until smooth. Add the basil and blend again. Taste and adjust
seasonings, adding more lemon for brightness and salt to taste. Add more water
if you prefer a thinner consistency.
4.
Make the garlic croutons:
5.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking
sheet with parchment paper. On the baking sheet, toss the croutons with the
garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake until crisp, about 8 minutes.
6.
Serve the soup at room temperature, or lightly
chilled, with the garlic croutons and a drizzle of olive oil.
