Eeeee!!!! This Creamy Zucchini and Corn Soup is so delicious. The end.
Okay, not the end. You know me: way too verbose to just give you a quick write-up. :P
But I’m giving you an out: you can take the shortcuts and either go straight to the recipe at the end, or watch the video instead of reading the below novel…(and subscribe for more!) …or just read the novel!
Creamy Zucchini and Corn Soup Recipe Video
I made this soup with my friend Larry because he is a very dear friend to me, and I wanted to teach him how easy it is to make super healthy and delicious food, and to help him get on track, since he was in poor health. Since we started cooking together a couple times per week, he has noticed a dramatic improvement in his health — including being able to go off one of his medications and weight-loss of at least 10 pounds, last time I checked.
And that was all in just 2-3 months of working together!
Most of the time, I find the largest barrier to getting healthy is the learning curve. When you don’t know the recipes off-hand, or if you don’t have experience making certain types of foods, it’s just too daunting. I get that. And it’s hard to be able to take the time to do it all with busy schedules and family lives, etc.
That’s why, in this case, I really wanted to be able to immerse Larry in the cooking part so he would have the skills to do it for himself, because I personally showed him them — and so he wouldn’t have any more excuses! :P
Oh, how I wish I could have done this for my father, say, 15 years ago.
Anyhoo. Going forward, with each recipe to come, I will be adding in something like Levels of Healthy for you, like I did back in the day with my Veggie Burger Patties. I’ll give the basic nutritarian recipe as the baseline. I will then give indications for those who cook with salt, oil, and meat…and those who just want more protein, etc.
So you can find your Level of Healthy somewhere in that spectrum. :D No judgment! Do what you can for where you are today!
Some Yummy Nutritional Facts on Zucchini
Zucchini is well known to reduce weight, while still boosting the nutrient value of your diet. Moreover, it helps to promote eye health, and prevents all the diseases that occur from vitamin C deficiency like scurvy, sclerosis, and easy bruising.
It helps to cure asthma and has a high content of vitamin C, carbohydrates, protein and fiber. Zucchini contains significant quantities of potassium, folate, and vitamin A, all of which are important for general good health. Zucchini, when eaten regularly, can effectively lower your homocysteine levels.
Also called courgette (I only know this from when I lived in Fancypants France), zucchini has its origin in America and is available on the market in yellow, light green or green colors. The shape of this small summer squash resembles that of a ridged cucumber and features numerous seeds.
Almost all the parts of zucchini are edible, including the flesh, seeds and even the skin.
Fun Zucchini-Storing Fact: It is always advisable to store zucchini in perforated plastic bags inside a refrigerator drawer. Try not to keep zucchini fruit stored for more than 3 days, since they can get damaged in overly cold temperatures. If damaged, you will notice hollow pits in the skin surface of the fruit after you take it out of the refrigerator.
Increase Your Knowledge of Corn!
Health benefits of corn include controlling diabetes, prevention of heart ailments, lowering hypertension and prevention of neural-tube defects at birth.
Corn not only provides the necessary calories for healthy, daily metabolism, but is also a rich source of vitamins A, B, E and many minerals. Its high fiber content ensures that it plays a significant role in the prevention of digestive ailments like constipation and hemorrhoids as well as colorectal cancer. The antioxidants present in corn also act as anti-carcinogenic agents and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Eeeee!!! What’s not to love??!
The finished, belly-worthy product
Don’t you just wanna take a bath in it?? No? Oh yeah, me neither…
Start by chopping all the veggies and putting them in a pot with hot water.
Add your fresh herbs and seasonings. Boil until zucchini cooked through.
Blend the soup to desired consistency. Blend cashews completely with 1 cup of soup. Return all to pot.
Serve!
Ok enough blabbering — here is the recipe!
- 4 cups water or no-salt-added vegetable broth
- 3 large zucchini (about 2 pounds), roughly chopped
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 5 cloves fresh garlic, chopped or pressed
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely minced (1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely minced (1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely minced (1 teaspoon dried)
- 1-2 tablespoons Vogue low-sodium vegetable soup base
- ¼ cup raw cashews or ⅛ cup raw cashew butter
- 4 cups baby spinach, chopped or broken into small pieces
- 2 cups corn, defrosted or fresh
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- Put a large soup or stock pot over high heat, add the water, zucchini, onion, garlic, basil, thyme, oregano (and soup seasoning, if using). Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until the zucchini is tender.
- Turn off the heat. In a food processor or blender (in batches if necessary), add the soup and blend it all until it is the consistency you like, taking care not to spill the hot soup on yourself. (I like mine chunky; you may prefer completely smooth.)
- Pour all but about 1 cup of soup mixture back into the pot. To the remaining soup in the blender or food processor, add the cashews and blend on high until completely smooth. A high-powered blender like a Vitamix works best for this. Return the cashew mixture to the pot with the rest of the soup.
- Add the corn and baby spinach and stir to combine. As the soup is still very hot, the spinach will wilt itself in about 5 minutes. Add water if needed to adjust consistency. Season with black pepper. "Levels of Healthy" indications are given below recipe.
Levels of Healthy
Here are ways that you can edit/add to the recipe to suit your tastebuds and style of eating. The full-on healthy, Nutritarian recipe would be exactly as above. You can change it up however you like!
- If you think it needs more…Flavor
- Salt
- Use full sodium (conventional) vegetable broth, chicken broth or beef broth, instead of water/no-salt vegetable broth
- Add salt during cooking process (1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon, taste it as you go)
- Add Bragg’s Liquid Amino’s during cooking process (1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon, taste it as you go) or to each bowl
- Add garlic salt to each bowl that you serve, to taste
- Dried/Fresh Herbs
- Feel free to add in any other combination of herbs here. If you add in dried instead, use less and taste as you go.
- Sweet Flavor
- Add cooked peas to the soup
- Oil
- Cook the vegetables in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil before adding the water/vegetable stock and boiling. You won’t need to boil as long, if you’ve cooked all the ingredients through first.
- Salt
- If you think it needs more…Protein/Fiber/Heartiness
- Drain and rinse a can of beans, your choice. I liked chickpeas with it. Just add some to each bowl, or add 1-2 full cans, drained and rinsed to final product and mix all in.
- Serve alongside your favorite grain or rice, or add that pre-cooked grain or rice right into the soup.
- If you think it needs more…Meat
- Serve alongside any type of meat desired. A seasoned, grilled chicken breast would be lovely, or even a nicely seasoned piece of white fish. Maybe use Lawry’s or Mrs Dash as an easy seasoning — I also really like garlic salt with fish.
- Buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it into the finished soup. Avoid doing this at the beginning to avoid “drying out” the chicken.
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