Creamy Zucchini Kale Soup with Roasted Garlic
Trade in those heavy cream soups for this fresh take on a rich and flavorful soup brought to life by the textures of seasonal vegetables!
A star of many hats! While working my way through the kitchen, what I find interesting is just how differently certain foods can taste or form they take on based on how they are prepared. For some foods, they have the same flavor but can take on different textures, like the zucchini, and for others, each way prepared brings a different profile, for example garlic. Whether you have this raw, sautéed, black, or roasted, each has a dramatically different flavor and should be treated differently in recipes. For this dish, I used a head of garlic that I had previously roasted, a great tip for prepping for the week to have available in your fridge! The roasted flavor adds a depth to the soup that takes this from a good cream soup to a rich flavor that gives the impression that it has been slow roasting for hours, when in fact, this comes together in minutes. A great party trick!
Rich and heavy are not synonyms! I love a great creamy soup, hands down. On a chilly fall day, there are few things better than a rich and creamy soup and a warmth that you can literally feel in your bones. Yummmm!! As I get older and the comfort starts to have responsibility creep in, I realize eating straight butter, garlic and cream, while heavenly, may not be the most sustainable. What is quickly becoming my favorite kitchen utensil is the immersion blender. This fancy little machine has transformed so many of my recipes! In this soup, while there is cream to add a base, most of the soup is the creamed zucchini, heightened in flavor and depth by the garlic and parmesan, instead of relying on the cream alone. This technique can help emulate a lot of comfort food favorites with much less guilt!
This recipe was created as a part of the Tour of the Markets challenge, where I try to use seasonal ingredients in new and creative ways. Follow along here!
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Creamy Zucchini Kale Soup with Roasted Garlic
Equipment
- Kitchen knife
- Baking sheet
- Saucepan
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 1 large Zucchini
- 2 handfuls Kale
- 1/2 white Onion
- 3 cloves Roasted Garlic see notes below
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1 sprig Rosemary
- 1 cup Vegetable Broth
- 1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- To make ahead, take a full head of garlic, slicing off the very top so each clove is exposed. Drizzle with olive oil and a little salt and wrap in tin foil. Placing on a baking sheet, bake this at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour to roast the garlic. I often do this ahead of time and keep the head of garlic in the refrigerator for future use. This recipe time does not include this step, but could also use regular garlic if you do not have time or premade roasted garlic.
- In a saucepan, heat olive oil and add chopped onions and 1/2 inch pieces of zucchini. Cook until soft and fragrant.
- Add in garlic (if using fresh garlic, give a little sauté before moving forward), kale and rosemary, stirring well to combine.
- Add in broth, salt and pepper and let simmer until all is cooked through. Using immersion, blend until smooth, being careful of hot liquids.
- Once a smooth consistency, add in cream and parmesan cheese and allow to combine, adding more salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with a little fresh rosemary and parmesan cheese and enjoy!
