This Vegan Creamy Zucchini Soup is only 7 ingredients and is oil-free! It is loaded with flavor and is super creamy and smooth, thanks to pureed zucchini, bell peppers and a kick from jalapeno!
*This post was originally published on 8-23-2012 and has been updated with better instructions and new photos.
VEGAN CREAMY ZUCCHINI SOUP
I can’t even put into words how incredibly delicious this humble, 7 ingredient vegan soup is! I’m so serious, such simplicity and yet, incredible flavor! My husband absolutely raved over it. He also couldn’t believe it was completely veggie-based and there was not a nut or seed in sight. I’m really into pureeing veggies into something magical and delicious, like with this Vegan Cheese Sauce that is also made with pureed zucchini!
Without a doubt, one of my favorite vegetables is zucchini. And this soup is the perfect way to show my love for it. This Vegan Creamy Zucchini Soup is incredibly creamy, yet practically fat-free and oil-free. Seriously, you have to try it to believe it that it only has 7 ingredients!
The soup has it all, sweetness from the zucchini and bell pepper, spiciness from the jalapeno, acidity from the brine of the jalapenos, as well as the lemon juice and a touch of smokiness from cumin. Not to mention, the creamy factor just makes it a velvety dream while you are eating it. Have I convinced you to try it yet? If you are a huge fan of creamy vegan soups like this, be sure to try my Vegan Creamy Sweet Potato Soup as well!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
- Zucchini
- Red bell pepper
- Garlic
- Nacho jalapeno slices from a jar
- Lemon juice
- Cumin
- Low-sodium vegetable broth
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CREAMY ZUCCHINI SOUP
Step 1: Peel and dice all the zucchini. Chop the bell pepper and mince the garlic.
Step 2: Add 1/2 cup broth to a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the zucchini, bell pepper and garlic. Cook about 10 minutes until very soft and most of the broth has cooked off.
Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients, except the lemon juice. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low and simmer about 10 more minutes until the liquid has reduced to about half.
Step 4: Add the soup to a blender carefully and add the lemon juice. Blend until completely smooth. Serve as a side soup with sandwiches like grilled cheese or a main meal.
This vegan creamy zucchini soup is great on its own as a small lunch, or for a full meal, it’s best served as a side dish/soup alongside a grilled cheese, sandwich or a large salad. This soup is a great interesting twist with grilled cheese, instead of the traditional Vegan Tomato Soup!
MORE VEGAN SOUP RECIPES TO TRY
- Vegan Green Lentil Carrot Soup
- Vegan Red Lentil Spinach Soup
- Healthy Vegetable Soup With Rice
- Lazy Day Vegan Tomato Bisque
- Vegan Cauliflower Curry Soup
- Lazy Red Lentil Curry Soup
- Low-fat Smoky Broccoli Potato Soup
- Healthy Potato Carrot Tomato Soup
- Easy Vegan Ramen Noodle Soup
- Sweet Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Vegan Creamy Zucchini Soup (7 Ingredients!)
Ingredients
- 6 1/2 heaping cups (845g) peeled and diced zucchini, 1/2 inch pieces (I used 6 medium to large zucchini, but please weigh for accuracy if possible.)
- 3/4 cup (120g) chopped red bell pepper
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) low-sodium vegetable broth, divided (I really love the Pacific brand, the flavor is amazing. Use a good quality flavored broth.)
- 6 "hot" pickled jalapeño slices from a jar (use 4 or 5 if you don't want it overly spicy)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and grind of fresh ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons (10g) fresh lemon juice
- Optional toppings: pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, croutons or freshly chopped jalapeno
- I use this scale.
NOTE
- The jalapeno slices are very key to the overall flavor to the soup because of the deep brine acidic flavor they have, so they cannot be omitted. I used a jar labeled "hot", so mine had a lovely spicy kick. However, if you want it more mild, especially for kids, look for a jar labeled medium or mild and start out with maybe just 4 slices, as you can always add more after blending and tasting it.
Instructions
- Please note you will weigh the zucchini AFTER you have chopped off the ends and peeled all the skins off. Then you will weigh 845 grams, so you have the accurate amount needed for the soup. Peel all the green skin off to where the zucchini is mostly to the yellow color (as in the photos) and dice the zucchini into small 1/2 inch pieces. If you don't peel the zucchini, then your soup will be an ugly green color and not the beautiful golden color in the photos.)
- Add just 1/2 cup of the broth to a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the zucchini, bell pepper and garlic and cook 10 minutes or so until the zucchini is very soft. If needed, add more broth just to keep it cooking, but after a few minutes the zucchini does release a lot of water while they cook, so you shouldn't need any.
- Once the zucchini is tender and nearly all the broth has cooked off, add the remaining 1 cup of broth, jalapeno slices, cumin, salt and pepper and raise the heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat to low, cover and simmer about 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half.
- Remove from the heat and carefully spoon the soup into a blender very carefully, it's hot! Add the lemon juice. Place a towel over the lid, for added protection, and blend until smooth and creamy. It only takes a short bit since we are just blending veggies. Once smooth and creamy, taste and add any more jalapeno if you want it spicier. The salt level was perfection with the broth and amount of jalapeno slices I used, but add more salt if yours needs it. Serve with vegan grilled cheese or my Smashed Chickpea Sandwich or as a side soup with any meal. This is not meant to be the main meal, but a small side soup. It was INCREDIBLE served with grilled cheese!
Notes
- HOMEMADE CROUTONS: I made some homemade croutons for garnish, although it doesn't really need it if you serve it with grilled cheese, which I highly recommend!
- However, if you'd like to make them, it's super easy. I just chopped up some sourdough bread into cubes, lightly spritzed with lemon juice and sprinkled with Italian seasoning. Toasted them in my toaster oven until browned. Sourdough is a strong flavor, so I didn't add salt, but if you use a mild bread, I'd season them with salt.
- NUTRITION: Nutrition stats does not include the pickled jalapeno slices, since it's not exactly possible to separate what just the slices would calculate as since the liquid isn't used and such a small amount is used.
Nutrition
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Wonderful combination of flavors! I pressured cooked the zucchini, peppers, Serrano pepper, and garlic with the broth, cumin and salt. Then I used an immersion blender to smooth it out. Added the lemon juice at the end. Lovely. Kind of a split pea green which I think is a lovely color!
That is so wonderful to hear Cheryl, thank you so much for making it and the feedback!
6 “hot” jalapeño slices chopped from jar ….Hi Brandi….is there a different spice (or chili pepper flakes) i could use for this soup? I just read this recipe…and since we are in quarantine, i don’t have this exact element in my pantry at this time. What could i substitute? I do have the canned water-packed artichokes for the caesar garbanzo bean sandwich spread—that is briny….thanks! Sheila
Hi Sheila, I saw your comment on FB and answered there!
This looks so good girl! I love the simple yet flavorful use of the zucchini!
thank you so much my friend! It really does have so much flavor which you wouldn’t think based on such a small ingredient list!
I just want to say Thank You so much! Your recipes are awesome and I very rarely leave comments on anything! I just had to tell you! I can’t cook…really…so I just follow your recipes EXACTLY as you say and they consistently come out so great and so flavorful and I MISSED that ever since I became plant based without oil…I just bought your book and everything because I am so pleased! So thankful! I even tried recipes like this one that I normally thought I wouldn’t like (because I never wanted to eat it before I became plant based) But it is delicious!!! Again, thank you very much! Please continue to do what you do as long as it makes you happy because it is a blessing to me and I am sure many others!!!
Thank you so much Katrina for such a wonderful comment! I’m touched by your kind words! So happy to hear how much you loved this soup and my recipes overall. Thank you so much again for writing! And thank you for buying my book!
Since you are vegan I wonder why you said: “if you serve it with grilled cheese, which I highly recommend!” What cheese is that you are talking about. Thanks.
Yes, that is to assume people would use a vegan cheese. There are tons of vegan cheese brands on the market these days. My favorite is the Chao cheese. You can find this at Krogers or Whole Foods.
This recipe is a winner! I first made it when we had several overgrown zucchini’s in our garden. It is the perfect recipe for those monster zukes. I’ve made it a few more times now, because it’s so delicious and weight loss friendly. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Brandi, this is a great recipe. It’s perfect for zucchinis that grew too big. I did simplify your recipe by throwing all the ingredients in a blender (vitamix) and skipped the cooking step, like a savory smoothie. Delish! Thank you for your recipe!