Creamy Zucchini Walnut Soup

See the Recipe Below

Photo Credit

Ingredients

90g (1 cup) skin-on walnuts – toast for five minutes at 180C/350F

1 large onion, chopped

1 ½ tbsp olive oil

1 ½  tsp dried thyme leaves (less if yours is quite strong-tasting)

2 bay leaves

4 garlic cloves, minced

750g (6 cups) chopped zucchini/summer squash – yellow or green

1.2 litres (5 cups) vegetable or chicken stock/bouillon (or a mix of the two)

Zest of half a lemon (more to taste)

Freshly ground pepper

Fresh thyme leaves (lemon thyme if you have some)

Directions

Heat the oil in a soup pot and add the onions. Saute gently until translucent. Add the bay leaves, dried thyme and garlic, and sauté a few more minutes. When the garlic smells fragrant and the onions lose their raw smell, add the chopped zucchini and the walnuts. Stir and pour over the hot stock. Bring to the boil. Lower the heat to simmer and cook gently for 20 minutes, adding the lemon zest during the last minute or so.

2. Remove the pan from the heat and fish out the bay leaves. Ladle into a blender or use a hand-blender/immersion blender to blend the soup to a beautifully smooth texture. Test for seasoning and taste – adding pepper, salt and/or honey if needs be. Add in the fresh thyme leaves, if using.

3. Serve with nice bread and perhaps a small plate of the last of any local tomatoes, sliced and dressed with good olive oil and fresh thyme leaves.

Recipe adapted from - http://kelliesfoodtoglow.com/2013/09/09/creamy-zucchini-walnut-and-thyme-soup/