Make the most of an abundant summer crop with this light and tasty slow cooker courgette soup. Courgettes or zucchini combine with zesty lemon for a deliciously fresh-tasting soup that can be served hot or cold.
Slow cooker courgette soup
Courgettes are one of those famine or feast vegetables that are extraordinarily abundant and cheap in late summer. They are delicious but unlike autumn squash, they don’t store for too long, so you need to enjoy them while you can.
See also
- Courgette salad (Zucchini salad) – thinly sliced ribbons of courgette with a lemon dressing are a delicious way to enjoy the summer crop
- Made with canned tomatoes, this slow cooker tomato soup is the perfect winter comfort food
- Slow cooker carrot and coriander soup is another classic that is delicious when made in the slow cooker
This slow cooker courgette soup recipe allows you to turn them into a delicious light meal without the need to stand over a hot cooker in the summer heat.
I do love the hands-off nature of slow cooker soups. While my stove top recipes rarely take much time, using the slow cooker means that I don’t have to be in the kitchen. I am very happy to get on with other things on a summer afternoon while this courgette soup cooks in the background.
Why make summer courgette soup?
- easy and hands off, with no standing over a hot stove
- great for using up a garden glut or market bargain
- delicious hot or cold
- freeze it for later
- adaptable recipe, so don’t worry about quantities
Slow cooker courgette soup ingredients
- Courgettes/zucchini – any variety, though darker skinned courgettes will give the soup more colour. Avoid overgrown courgettes that are half way to becoming marrows. These lack flavour and can have a poor texture. If they are too big, don’t buy them (or compost them if home grown).
- Celery – two sticks, for a savoury base
- Potatoes – two small / medium potatoes for creaminess and body, or one larger one (or try using a sweet potato)
- Stock – vegetable or chicken as you prefer
- Butter and olive oil – to sauté the onion and garlic. I like a mix for flavour but use all olive oil for a dairy-free soup.
- Onion and garlic
- Seasoning – salt, black pepper and your favourite herb/seasoning blend
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- 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.
- Cream – entirely optional but you can stir in a drizzle at the end
Courgette or zucchini?
For the avoidance of doubt, these are exactly the same thing. The English name for the mature fruit is marrow, so by rights we should probably all call them baby marrows.
Well into the mid-20th century, however, marrow was seen as a decidedly ordinary vegetable, often grown for bulk rather than flavour. (Does anyone remember the old music hall number, the Marrow Song?) As people grew more prosperous, marrow fell out of favour and didn’t sell.
Somewhere along the line, British restaurants and supermarkets started marketing baby marrows as courgettes, a diminutive of the French word courge, meaning marrow. This gave the tastier small fruits a touch of glamour.
In North America, on the other hand, the Italian influence gave rise to the use of the term zucchini instead. (Italian uses zucchina/zucchine.) Which word you use depends on where you live, but courgette or zucchini soup, it’s all the same.
How to make zucchini soup – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Peel and chop the onion. Top and tail the celery and chop. Peel and chop the garlic.
Put the oil and butter in a frying pan over a medium heat until the butter melts. Then sauté the onion and celery for about 5 minutes, until they are fragrant and the onion is turning translucent and golden at the edges.
Add the garlic, seasoning and salt and pepper. Cook for a further minute.
Helen’s Pro Tip
I have dismissed the need for frying the onion in some of my other slow cooker soups, using a ‘dump and start’ approach, a fuss free approach with less prep. Sometimes it is unnecessary.
For this summer courgette soup, I find that it really does make a difference and I recommend that you do fry the onion, celery and garlic first.
Step Two – Now trim the courgettes, cutting them into quarters lengthwise and then into chunks. Dice the potato (there’s no need to peel them unless you want to). Cut evenly into chunks about an inch square.
Step Three – Put the courgettes and potato in the slow cooker. Add the onion and celery mix and the stock cube.
Boil two cups of water in the kettle and add to the pot. This is unlikely to cover all the ingredients but do not be tempted to add more. Courgettes are a watery vegetable and will release more liquid as they cook.
Do make sure that the stock cube is submerged, so that it will dissolve. Push it under the water with a spoon if necessary.
Put the lid on and cook for 2–3 hours on High.
Step Four – If you are about you can give it all a stir half way through cooking. Everything should have submerged naturally by now but this avoids rogue pieces of veg being stranded on top.
Step Five – Use a stick blender to blend to a smooth, velvety soup. Check the seasoning and add a generous squeeze of lemon juice to taste.
If you prefer a richer soup, you can stir in a drizzle of cream (or if you want to make cream of courgette soup, add all the cream now).
Garnish with fresh herbs and serve hot and fresh from the pot or chill to serve cold later.
Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
I nearly always use a stick blender to blend my soup. They are inexpensive, easy to clean and last for years.You can use a jug blender or food processor if you prefer, but it’s a lot more trouble and you must take extra care when blending hot liquids.
Make sure that the central bung is loose to allow steam to escape. Cover it with a folded tea towel to catch any liquid and blend in short pulses allowing steam to escape between each pulse to avoid blowing the lid off.
If you are going to serve the soup cold, of course, you can cool it before blending, which makes using a jug blender less stressful!
Serving suggestion
This courgette or zucchini soup is delicious served hot or chilled. Serve it scattered with fresh herbs and garnish to taste, perhaps with a drizzle of cream or pesto oil, some toasted seeds or croutons.
Why not enjoy your summer courgette soup with delicious fresh homemade bread?
For a fancy canapé, serve chilled in shot glasses, with the slightest drizzle of oil, and tiny micro herbs.
Variations
- Use yellow courgettes and a carrot for a golden courgette soup.
- Use an extra handful of fresh herbs, blending these in at the end of cooking. Parsley, coriander (cilantro), basil, mint and dill all work well.
- For cream of courgette soup, stir in about 3 tablespoons of cream to taste.
- Garnish with crumbled feta cheese.
Storage
Fridge – Cool leftovers and transfer to a sealed container in the fridge to store for three days.
Freezer – This soup freezes well, though if you want to add cream, leave this out and add when you defrost your soup.
Transfer to sealed freezer containers as soon as the soup is cooled and freeze, storing for up to three months.
Courgette Soup for the Freezer
If you are cooking the soup to freeze it, add half the amount of liquid to make a concentrated soup. You will need to stir the soup from time to time as it cooks.
Blend and then transfer to freezer containers, for best results don’t add the cream.
Defrost and reheat thinning the soup with water to the desired consistency.
Hints and tips
- Sauté the vegetables as described for best results. Some soups work as a ‘dump and start’ approach but this one really benefits from the extra step.
- Using boiling water at the start ensures the stock cube dissolves fully from the start and helps to bring the slow cooker up to a simmer quickly.
- Don’t be tempted to add extra water at the outset. If it is needed, you can add some when you come to stir the pot, but you cannot take it away and courgettes are watery vegetables.
- Don’t skip the lemon juice. It transforms the soup.
- A cheap stick blender is, if anything, better for hot soup than a fancy blender. You don’t need anything else.
FAQs
Yes, it freezes well. Not all courgette dishes do, but in this case you don’t have to worry.
Yes, you can leave out the butter and use a little more olive oil for a dairy-free, vegan soup.
You could add a handful of green peas if you like.
More slow cooker soup recipes
- Slow cooker chicken gnocchi soup – ultimate comfort food and one of my favourites
- Slow cooker carrot and coriander soup – a fresh and zesty classic
- Slow cooker tomato soup – a family favourite
- Explore all my soup recipes.
Slow Cooker Courgette Soup
Ingredients
- 1 onion (medium sized)
- 2 sticks celery
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 knob butter
- 1 tsp mixed dried herbs
- 3 courgettes (medium sized – not too big)
- 1 potato (medium, or 2 small)
- 1 stock cube or stock pot (vegetable or chicken)
- pepper and salt (to taste)
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 handful fresh chopped herbs
Optional
- 3 tbsp cream (double or single according taste)
Instructions
- Peel and chop the onion. Top and tail the celery and chop. Peel and chop the garlic. Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and then gently fry the onion and celery for about 5 minutes.1 onion, 2 sticks celery, 1 clove garlic, ½ tbsp olive oil, 1 knob butter
- Add the garlic and seasoning and cook for about a minute.1 tsp mixed dried herbs
- Trim and chop the courgettes and dice the potatoes into even sized pieces. Place in the slow cooker along with the onion mix and the stock cube.3 courgettes, 1 potato, 1 stock cube or stock pot
- Boil the kettle and add two cups of hot water to the slow cooker pot. Make sure the stock cube is submerged but don't be tempted to add extra water to cover the vegetables, as they will release water in cooking.
- Put the lid on and cook for 2–3 hours on High. Stir half way through cooking.
- Use a stick blender to blend to a smooth, velvety soup. Add pepper and salt to taste, and add a generous squeeze of lemon juice. If you want to make a cream soup, blend this in too.juice of half a lemon, 3 tbsp cream, pepper and salt
- Serve hot or chilled, garnished with the chopped fresh herbs.1 handful fresh chopped herbs
Notes
Storage
Fridge – Cool leftovers and transfer to a sealed container in the fridge to store for three days. Freezer – This soup freezes well, though if you want to add cream, leave this out and add when you defrost your soup. Transfer to sealed freezer containers as soon as the soup is cooled and freeze, storing for up to three months. If you are cooking the soup to freeze it, you can reduce the amount of liquid and make a concentrated soup to thin when you heat it. This saves space in the freezer.Hints and tips
- Sauté the vegetables as described for best results. Some soups work as a ‘dump and start’ approach but this one really benefits from the extra step.
- Using boiling water at the start ensures the stock cube dissolves fully from the start and helps to bring the slow cooker up to a simmer quickly.
- Don’t be tempted to add extra water at the outset. If it is needed, you can add some when you come to stir the pot, but you cannot take it away and courgettes are watery vegetables.
- Don’t skip the lemon juice. It transforms the soup.
- A cheap stick blender is, if anything, better for hot soup than a fancy blender. You don’t need anything else.
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