Make the most of your courgettes with this easy courgette soup in the soup maker. A squeeze of lemon lifts and lightens the flavour of this zucchini soup which is equally good served hot or cold!
Soup maker courgette soup (zucchini soup)
The thing about courgettes / zucchini is that if you grown your own it is often a case of feast or famine.
You either have a glut, or you do not have any. Happily they are adaptable and can be used in umpteen different ways, including this soup.
See also
- Soup maker carrot and parsnip soup – let the machine do the work with this glorious golden soup
Love Your Soup Maker?
- All my soup maker recipes in one place!
- Soup maker hints and tips to get the best from your gadget
Thanks to the soup maker the soup is souper easy to make, is adaptable and can be served hot or cold. Cold soup is perfect for hot summer days.
Generally I cook for two, but usually make 6 portions of soup at a time as it does for lunch for us for three days – fresh soup will keep in the fridge for 3 days, and of course can be frozen for another day.
I’ve given quantities, but don’t worry too much about them, just use them as a guide and use the ingredients that you have. I’ll tell you my tricks and tips to ensure you make a perfect soup every time.
Why make courgette soup in the soup maker?
- Uses up some of a home grown glut of courgettes or zucchini
- Largely hands off as the machine does everything and there is no danger of over cooking
- Adaptable recipe – you do not need to worry too much about ingredient quantities
- Serve hot or cold to ring the changes and enjoy in the summer
- Perfect for bulk cooking – a modern soup maker can make about 1.7 litres of soup, which is more than 7 cups, or 6 generous portions – so you can make ahead and fill the freezer.
Courgette or Zucchini?
It really does not matter as they are the same thing.
If you are British you will say courgette which is a diminutive of the French word courge, meaning marrow.
If you are North American you will call them zucchini because of the Italian influence where they are called zucchina/zucchine.
Soup maker courgette soup – ingredients
- Courgettes / Zucchini – Two medium / large courgettes – which are getting to the size where you need to pick them. You can use three smaller ones. I do not recommend using one large courgette as the bigger they are the less flavour they have.
Any variety can be used – the darker skinned ones will give a darker colour soup. - Celery – Two sticks or so as a savoury base – this will not make the soup taste of celery it just adds another layer of flavour.
- Onion – one regular brown onion, or you can use a red onion or a handful of shallots.
- Potato – one medium potato helps to thicken the soup and give it a creamier texture. Don’t worry about the type of potato, it does not matter too much.
- Stock/broth – vegetable or chicken. You don’t need to make up a stock in advance and as this is a blended soup you can simply throw the stock cube or pot into the soup maker.
- Spices – some garlic granules and some dried woody herbs – oregano is perfect
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- Olive oil – I like an unrefined extra virgin olive oil for sautéing the onion
- Lemon – Fresh juice for flavour. It lightens, brightens, and acts as a flavour enhancer in much the same way as salt. Lemon pairs perfectly with courgette and it makes a huge difference to the soup, so don’t be tempted to leave it out.
- Fresh Herbs – for garnish. Try parsley, dill, mint, basil or coriander.
How to make zucchini soup in a soup maker – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this soup maker zucchini soup recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Prepare the vegetables. You don’t need to make them look pretty or spend much time chopping as the soup maker does the work – but you do need to do some prep!
- Onions – peel and cut into quarters.
- Courgettes – top and tail and roughly cut into chunks
- Potato – cut into chunks – about 2.5cm / 1 inch. If the skin is thin and unblemished you do not need to peel – lots of the flavour and the nutrients are in the skin so it is best to use it if you can.
- Celery (if using) – trim, cut in half lengthwise and then into approximately 2 inch / 5 cm lengths
Step Two – Put the onion in the soup maker and pulse briefly. Then scrape any onion off the sides to the bottom of the jug.
Add the oil to the soup maker and select the sauté function. Allow to cook for the programme length until the onion is translucent and fragrant. Cooking time will vary according to the model of soup maker.
If you do not have a sauté function, then you can skip this stage and throw all the ingredients, including the raw onion into the jug. Or, sauté the onions in a pan first; I do prefer the onion sautéed for the extra flavour this brings to the soup.
Step Three – Add courgettes, potato, celery, stock cube, garlic and dried herbs
Courgettes / zucchini are watery vegetables so fill the machine with water to about two thirds of the level of the vegetables.
If you are making to freeze then use even less water only half fill the jug. You can always add a little more in part way through cooking if it is not blending properly.
Helen’s Pro Tip
When making soup I always try to use a little less liquid than I think it will need. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out, and too much will dilute the flavour.
Step Four – Put the lid on, and start the smooth soup program. Most machines will take about thirty minutes, finishing with a longer blend to make a completely smooth and velvety soup.
Step Five – When the machine has finished, add the lemon juice, a handful of fresh herbs and pulse briefly to chop (do not completely blend in). You can also pulse in a little cream.
Check and add some seasoning if needed. You can add some more liquid if needed at this stage to thin the soup.
Serving suggestion
Enjoy hot and freshly made or chill to serve cold. Garnish with some chopped chives. Add a swirl of cream for richness. A sprinkle of chopped fresh leafy herbs looks appetizing.
I chop leafy herbs with scissors with the herbs in a mug. I find it quick and efficient, and it keeps all the small herb pieces in one place.
Variations
- The fresh lemon juice is a great flavour enhancer for many soups and is what makes this version delicious.
- Make the soup richer by adding a knob of butter add at the end of cooking and briefly pulse it in.
- Add different fresh herbs at the end of cooking. I like to pulse them in rather than fully blend.
- Add about 80ml / third of a cup of cream at the end of cooking for a cream of courgette soup.
- Once cooked fully blend in two handfuls of baby leaf spinach for a vibrant green courgette and spinach soup.
Storage
Fridge – Allow your soup maker courgette soup to cool, pack into containers, seal and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer – Once cold, pack into containers, seal and freeze. Store for up to 6 months. I find that with soup maker soups they can separate as they defrost and will need a good stir as they are reheated.
If making this soup for the freezer then add less water at step three. Freeze and then dilute a little once defrosted adding chopped fresh herbs and cream at this stage.
Reheating – Defrost in the fridge overnight, or on the kitchen worktop for a few hours. Reheat your soup in a pan on the stove top, or in a safe container in the microwave.
When using the microwave, I always use a Pyrex jug for safe and easy handling – it is easier to lift in and out, and I prefer not to reheat in plastic.
Hints and tips
- This is a not a good way to use up giant courgettes / zucchini which got too big before picking. They are watery and have little taste – pop them on the compost heap instead.
- If your soup maker doesn’t have a sauté function, you can sauté the onions briefly in a pan before putting them in the soup maker. If you decide to skip the sauté stage, don’t leave the oil out. You will miss it if you do.
- When adding water, never completely cover the ingredients. It’s easy to thin a soup that’s too thick, but not vice versa.
- Swirl a small amount of boiling water in the empty soup maker jug to get all the soup out, and add it to the rest of the soup. Then clean the jug as below.
- It is far easier to clean a soup maker while it is still warm. Rinse it under the hot tap, fill with warm water and add a few drops of washing up liquid. Set to blend for a few seconds. Then rinse again and leave to dry.
FAQS
As long as the skins are clean and fairly thin, I don’t bother. It’s all extra fibre, you don’t notice it in a blended soup, and you maximize the nutrition and flavour by leaving the skin on.
I think that the final soup will taste better if you do, however if you only use one onion you can skip the sautéing.
You do need to chop the vegetables up into chunks before adding, as the soup maker cannot handle a whole vegetables. You can be very rough and ready, though, so you really don’t need to spend much time on this.
I think it is worth it as you get great results for very little effort and crucially, you can walk away and leave it to do the work unattended.
Whether it is cheaper to run probably depends on the recipe, as some soups are quick to make in a saucepan and some take quite a long time. It certainly won’t cost you more to use the soup maker and for some soups it will be cheaper.
I love my Ninja Food Blender and Soup Maker (Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender in the USA), using it several times a week in the colder months.
More recipes
- No soup maker? Try my slow cooker courgette soup
- Courgette salad – a delicious summer salad
- We love soup – here are all our 50 plus soup recipes
(Zucchini) Courgette Soup in the Soup Maker
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion (1)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 stick celery (2)
- 2 medium courgettes (3)
- 2 medium potato (4)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried herbs – oregano is perfect
- 1 stock cube / pot (5)
To finish / garnish
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- fresh herbs – e.g. parsley, dill, mint, basil or coriander
- 1 tbsp cream (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables. As this is a blended soup, you don’t need to be fussy. Onion – top, tail, peel and cut into quartersCelery – trim and cut into 2 inch / 5 cm piecesCourgettes – cut the stalk end off, and cut into chunksPotato – cut into chunks. There's no need to peel if the potatoes are clean and with umblemished skin.1 medium onion, 2 stick celery, 2 medium courgettes, 2 medium potato
- Throw the onion into the soup maker and briefly pulse. Scrape down the sides so that the onion is at the bottom.
- Add the oil to the soup maker and select the sauté function. Allow to cook for the programme length.If you do not have a sauté function, then you can skip this stage and throw everything in, or you can sauté the onions in a pan first. I do prefer the onion sautéed for the extra flavour this brings to the soup.1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp dried herbs – oregano is perfect
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Add water to about two thirds of the level of the vegetables.½ tsp garlic powder, 1 stock cube / pot
- Put the lid on the jug and select the smooth soup programme and let the soup maker work its magic!
- When the machine has finished, add the lemon juice if used, and the fresh herbs. Pulse briefly to chop the herbs and mix everything together. You can also pulse in a little cream.1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, fresh herbs – e.g. parsley, dill, mint, basil or coriander, 1 tbsp cream
Notes
- If your soup maker doesn’t have a sauté function, then you can sauté the onion briefly in a frying pan before transferring to the soup maker jug. Don’t leave out the oil, though, as it adds more flavour.
- Courgettes are watery vegetable, so don’t add too much water. Fill to about two thirds the height of the vegetables. You can always thin the soup afterwards.
- It is far easier to clean the soup maker while it is still warm. Give it a good rinse under the hot tap, half fill with warm water and add a few drops of washing up liquid. Set to blend for a few seconds. Then rinse again and leave to dry.
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