Snappy Summer Squash Soup

This is an adaptation of a recipe I found on Veginista.  The original recipe used olive oil, for which I substituted coconut oil.  It also used saffron, which is far too pricey for my pantry.  And it used 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. I like a good "kick" in my soup, but I knew it would be "bad ass kick" if I used that much, so I reduced it to barely 1/8 teaspoon and it still had "snap".  Thus, the title for my modified version.

Yellow summer squash and eight-ball squash

I used a combination of eight-ball summer squash and yellow summer squash.   If you haven't seen eight-ball squash, you might not know what it is when you first see it.  It is a new variety of zucchini, so it can be used for any recipe using zucchini.  It has an attractive shiny green speckled skin that is tender. It is named eight-ball because of its resemblance to a billiard ball.  Of course, if it grows big like the second one in our garden, maybe it should be called a bowling-ball zucchini.

What you see below is the bounty Tom harvested on September 22 from the summer squash patch and the pepper plants.  Since then, he has gathered more each day.  And then there are the tomatoes....more about that on another post.    Stay tuned.......

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 large onion, sliced fine
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper or 1/8 teaspoon, depending on how much snappy Pzazz you want!
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
6 cups sliced (3/4 inch slices) summer squash (I used yellow & green eight -ball squash) 
3 cups vegetable broth 

Preparation:
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Over medium heat, add the onion, garlic and spices. Stir frequently & cook until soft but not browned. When the onions are soft, add the squash & cook for about two minutes. 

Pour in the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer & cook until the squash is tender (15-20 minutes).

Puree the soup in a blender until it is very smooth. I used my immersion stick blender. The soup can be gently reheated when you’re ready to serve. If it seems very thick, you may wish to thin it with some additional stock. Add salt to taste.  

For garnish, top with paprika, freshly ground pepper, fresh finely chopped basil & a squeeze of lemon. Or top with crumbled goat cheese. 

        

Nutrition per serving:

Servings per recipe: 6
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 85
Total Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol:  0 mg
Sodium: 76 mg
Total Carbs: 11 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 2 g




If you like zucchini soup, don't forget about the one I posted last year for Charred Zucchini Soup by Anna Thomas. The wedding of charred zucchini with mint is divine!  I made it several times again this year and when my friend, Tahirih, tasted it, she immediately asked for the link to it on this blog so she could make some.  Other summer squash soups I have posted are:
Zucchini and Basil Soup by Anna Thomas
Patty Pan Summer Squash Soup
Asparagus Zucchini Soup
Crookneck Squash Soup with Curry and Ginger
Simple Summer Squash Soup
Italian Summer Squash Soup
Lemon Basil Summer Squash Soup
Curried Zucchini Soup