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    Home » Recipes » Soup Recipes » Make Ahead Zucchini Soup Served Chilled

    Make Ahead Zucchini Soup Served Chilled

    Published: Sep 10, 2020 · Modified: Jan 10, 2022 by Jenna Passaro · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    PIN for simple zucchini soup recipe

    Here’s an easy vegetable soup recipe with zucchini that you can serve to a crowd. This make ahead zucchini soup served chilled is perfect for holidays, dinner appetizer soups, or brunch appetizers. Make it in under 30 minutes.

    zucchini soup with toppings
    This is an easy basic zucchini soup recipe. Serve it as a Christmas soup appetizer or make-ahead Thanksgiving appetizer. Or, just enjoy it for dinner or lunch. It’s simple enough to whip up for every day eating.

    File this under an easy restaurant-style soup to make at home.

    Table of Contents

    • Today, you’ll learn:
    • Ingredients for make-ahead zucchini soup
    • How to make zucchini soup
    • Tasty toppings for zucchini soup
    • Plating tips for zucchini soup
    • What to serve with zucchini soup
    • Modifications for a vegetarian zucchini soup
    • Why chilled soup?
    • Meal prepping soup makes life easier
    • Meat thermometer recommendations
    • Final tips for making this chilled zucchini soup
    • Are you a foodie, too?
    • Make Ahead Zucchini Soup Served Chilled Recipe | Sip Bite Go

    Today, you’ll learn:

    1. How to cook zucchini soup just-right
    2. How to make a creamy zucchini soup
    3. Ways to serve zucchini soup for a holiday
    4. What can you put zucchini in soup? (including toppings)
    finished make ahead zucchini soup
    It’s a delicious creamy soup for dinner one night, then work from home lunch the next day. Serve it with a batch of crunchy croutons, and I’m in heaven!

    Ingredients for make-ahead zucchini soup

    This is a chicken broth-based vegetable soup with zucchini, onion, and garlic.

    So where does the creaminess come from? This is a refreshing appetizer soup with sour cream added in the final steps. It makes this recipe for zucchini soup creamy and silky smooth.

    At the end, you can add toppings to zucchini to play with the flavors, just like restaurants do.

    dicing zucchini for soup
    There are just a few steps to making zucchini soup.

    How to make zucchini soup

    Step 1. Heat a large pot on the stove to medium-high heat.

    ingredients for pureed zucchini soup

    Add zucchini, onion, garlic, and chicken broth.

    vegetables and broth in a soup pot
    This really is a simple zucchini soup considering it just has a few beautiful vegetables, broth and sour cream.

    How long to cook zucchini in soup

    Zucchini cooks very quickly in soup. Once the liquid in the pot begins to boil, turn the heat down to medium or medium-low.

    The goal is to reduce the heat so the zucchini soup simmers. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Once vegetables are soft, remove the pot from heat.

    simmering vegetables for zucchini soup

     Step 2. Let vegetable and broth mixture cool for 10-20 minutes in the soup pot, or transfer to a bowl. To serve warm, jump to the next step.

    To serve later or serve chilled: transfer cooled vegetables and broth (as is) to the refrigerator. Chill for at least one hour or overnight if possible.

    The longer it sits (up to a day), the better, as it will deepen the flavor of the soup.

    using an immersion blender for zucchini soup

     Step 3. Once that deep flavor forms, it’s time to turn this into a zucchini puree soup.

    Purée zucchini and vegetables in the broth with an immersion blender for about 1-2 minutes until smooth.

    adding sour cream to zucchini soup

    This wouldn’t be a creamed zucchini recipe without the secret creamy ingredient… sour cream. Add in sour cream and blend to combine until the color is consistently green throughout.

    pureeing zucchini soup

    Step 4. Serve soup in small cups topped with olive oil, cheese, herbs, salt and pepper as desired.

    pouring pureed chilled zucchini soup in a bowl
    Some people might call this a zucchini bisque or cream of zucchini soup.

    For a full run down of my summer recipes, have a look at this article—  and spend the summer eating seasonal food that’s healthy, easy to make and tastes delicious too.

    Tasty toppings for zucchini soup

    • Celery
    • Croutons made on the stove
    • Baked Parmesan Croutons
    • Sous vide asparagus
    • Dollop of cream cheese
    • Sous vide chicken
    • Sous vide turkey
    • A squeeze of lemon juice
    • Grated ginger
    • Sauteed mushrooms with thyme
    • Sous vide corn
    • Diced potatoes
    • Overnight sous vide bacon
    • Cayenne to make a spicy zucchini soup
    • Spinach
    • Fresh basil
    • If you’re going to skip the croutons, then do yourself a favorite and pick up some crunchy crackers to accompany your soup. The extra texture will do wonders for the soup, bringing out its sour cream smoothness.
    serving chilled zucchini soup with crouton toppings
    I’ve been cooking up so many soup recipes with zucchini that by now I’m a plating master… the more artfully inspired, the better. My favorite style is like a Pollock painting where all the herbs and toppings are thrown around the plate. It’s messy and beautiful at the same time.

    Plating tips for zucchini soup

    Get artistic with your zucchini soup plating and add an edible zucchini blossom. Look for zucchini blossoms or other squash blossoms at farmer’s markets or specialty grocery stores.

    Serve zucchini soup in small carafes, appetizer spoons, or shot glasses. It is a rich soup, so a little bit is perfect for wetting appetites. In easy to sip and walk containers, it’s easier to eat in a socially distanced way.

    What to serve with zucchini soup

    So, you know exactly how you’ll top and garnish your chilled zucchini soup. Now you’re probably asking yourself: “What can I serve with it?” – especially if you want to serve zucchini soup for a crowd.

    From drinks to sides, here are pairings for zucchini soup…

    Main dishes to serve with zucchini soup

    • Pesto chicken. Make the most of your bright green meal by accompanying it with a flavorful pesto chicken. Make this sous vide whole chicken or simple chicken breast on the stove.
    • We’ve all enjoyed a delicate shrimp cocktail before – and we’re here to say that a chilled shrimp cocktail is an excellent pairing with chilled zucchini soup. Make the perfect shrimp every time with this sous vide shrimp recipe.
    • Other seafood. Like sous vide scallops and sous vide lobster tails
    • A tasty sandwich. Like a sous vide brisket sandwich or something from this list of gourmet grilled cheese ideas.
    • It’s always a good night to make homemade pizza with store bought dough or pizza from frozen crust.
    • Try this chicken piccata pasta.
    • A classic soup and salad pairing with zucchini soup works well with this make-ahead Caprese salad

    Zucchini soup drink pairings

    • Fresh lemonade. Freshly squeezed lemonade with a bit of honey is a classic drink for any summer meal, but don’t be afraid to add a twist to your lemonade with club soda.
    • Spiked lemonade. Taking the same idea as above, pair zucchini soup with lemonade mixed with a fruity liquor – try adding marionberry rum or coconut vodka in lemonade).
    • Something tropical. Try something on this list of tropical drink recipes.

    Love zucchini? See these oven baked zucchini chips

    Modifications for a vegetarian zucchini soup

    Make your chilled soup vegetarian by using a vegetable broth. For a vegan zucchini soup, use full-fat coconut milk instead of the sour cream.

    For the past few months, I’ve really been obsessed with zucchini soup.

    I made my first batch of chilled zucchini soup after enjoying it at Portland charcuterie hot spot, Olympia Provisions. If my memory serves me right, they had a warm zucchini soup. With some modifications and my own spin, I’ve found that cold zucchini soup like the one in this recipe is a refreshing take on the dish.

    Why chilled soup?

    Many people think of roaring fires and cozy sweaters when they take a sip of soup, but not all soups are wintertime soups. In fact, some of the most delicious soups, like zucchini soup, go best with fresh summer vegetables.

    For the summer…

    To make soup the perfect warm-weather refresher, you can serve it chilled. Sipping chilled soup on a toasty summer day is not only satisfying but can also be hydrating and will leave you feeling clean and refreshed.

    For easy serving…

    Serving chilled soup is easier for meal prep and makes this a great soup recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or any holiday really. This is one of my favorite holiday appetizer dishes to make ahead.

    Meal prepping soup makes life easier

    Anytime I can make ahead soup or salads, there’s a 100% chance putting together dinner is going to run a little more smoothly.

    With a toddler, it’s so important to stay on a schedule, and putting together a soup appetizer for dinner a few hours in advance really helps. Then I can just focus on making the main dish before putting dinner on the table.

    Freezing this soup

    Remember my tips on buying and freezing from the grocery store? Yes, soups are great to do this with, too. Freeze them in batches and let it thaw in the fridge overnight.

    pureed zucchini soup

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    Meat thermometer recommendations

    Every home chef needs a reliable meat thermometer to cook food perfectly. 

    On Sip Bite Go, you’ll often see me using:

    1. Meater thermometer – a fancy wireless thermometer that connects to a phone app – gifted to me from a Traeger partnership.
    2. ThermoPro digital thermometer – which has a wire that connects the thermometer to a display box outside the oven/grill. 

    It’s like being psychic! The great thing about either of the thermometers above is that I don’t have to take the food out of the oven to know the temperature. 

    How to use ‘em… What I do is stick the digital thermometer in steak, pork, chicken, whatever… Then put the food in the oven, on the smoker, or grill.

    While the meat cooks, it reads the temperature so I know exactly what temp meat is as it’s cooking. Without having to take it out and check. It’s really difficult to overcook food when you know exactly what temp it is inside!

    adding olive oil to chilled zucchini soup
    This is a tasty work from home lunch or dinner appetizer.

    Final tips for making this chilled zucchini soup

    • Do you peel zucchini for soup? No, you definitely don’t have to. The skin will add to the deep green color and has flavor, so wash the zucchini and keep the skin on.
    • Substitute the sour cream with Greek yogurt or full fat coconut milk.
    • Serving it chilled. If you choose to serve it warm, you can serve it right after pureeing it. Otherwise, make zucchini soup served chilled by transferring the pureed zucchini and vegetables to another bowl, or leaving it in the pan (after cooling down) and transferring to the fridge to cool for 1-2 hours, or overnight.
    • Top soup with croutons, diced vegetables, herbs, or cheese.
    • Let the flavors evolve. Aim to make zucchini soup between 2 hours and 1 day before serving to let all the tasty flavors do their thing and get better over time.
    simple zucchini soup with olive oil and croutons

    Are you a foodie, too?

    Another easy soup recipe to check out is this Instant Pot chicken noodle – it’s so tasty and great to make ahead.

    Until next time, connect with me on Instagram for new recipes @sipbitego and subscribe to the Sip Bite Go channel on YouTube.

    zucchini soup with toppings

    Make Ahead Zucchini Soup Served Chilled Recipe | Sip Bite Go

    Here’s an easy vegetable soup recipe with zucchini that you can serve to a crowd. This make-ahead zucchini soup served chilled is perfect for holidays, dinner appetizer soups, or brunch appetizers. Make it in under 30 minutes.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Finish Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 76kcal
    Author: Jenna Passaro

    Ingredients

    • 3 Zucchini medium, (diced in large chunkswith skin on)
    • ½ onion (diced in large chunks)
    • ½ tbsp garlic minced
    • 32 oz chicken broth
    • 3 tbsp sour cream
    • ½ tbsp olive oil
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Heat a large pot on the stove to medium-high heat. Add zucchini, onion, garlic, and chicken broth. Once the liquid in the pot begins to boil, turn the heat down to medium or medium-low. The goal is to reduce the heat so the zucchini soup simmers. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Once vegetables are soft, remove the pot from heat.
    • Let vegetable and broth mixture cool for 10-20 minutes in the soup pot, or transfer to a bowl. To serve warm, jump to the next step. To serve later or serve chilled: transfer cooled vegetables and broth (as is) to the refrigerator. Chill for at least one hour or overnight if possible. The longer, the better, as it will deepen the flavor of the soup.
    • Purée zucchini and vegetables in the broth with an immersion blender for about 1-2 minutes until smooth. Add in sour cream and blend to combine until color is consistently green throughout.
    • Serve soup in small cups topped with olive oil, cheese, herbs, salt and pepper as desired.

    Video

    Notes

    • Do you peel zucchini for soup? No, you definitely don’t have to. The skin will add to the deep green color and has flavor, so wash the zucchini and keep the skin on.
    • Substitute the sour cream with Greek yogurt or full-fat coconut milk.
    • Serving it chilled. If you choose to serve it warm, you can serve it right after pureeing it. Otherwise, make zucchini soup served chilled by transferring the pureed zucchini and vegetables to another bowl, or leaving it in the pan (after cooling down) and transferring to the fridge to cool for 1-2 hours, or overnight.
    • Top soup with croutons, diced vegetables, herbs, or cheese.
    • Let the flavors evolve. Aim to make zucchini soup between 2 hours and 1 day before serving to let all the tasty flavors do their thing and get better over time.
    SEE RECIPE STEPS – https://sipbitego.com/make-ahead-zucchini-soup
    RECIPE VIDEO – https://youtu.be/ugml-HcINsg

    Nutrition

    Calories: 76kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 850mg | Potassium: 598mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @SipBiteGo or tag #sipbitego!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Elizabeth says

      July 04, 2022 at 5:47 pm

      I’m not sure how fair my rating is, given the changes I made: I used two zucchini and a summer squash and a whole sweet onion; I added a bit of rosemary and thyme and garlic salt (in addition to the garlic I put in the soup), and I didn’t have sour cream, so I used some heavy cream. And I’m having it while still warm/hot. It’s very good!5 stars

      Reply

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    jenna passaro food blogger from Portland Oregon

    Hey, I’m Jenna Passaro.

    I develop easy recipes that can transform your kitchen into a restaurant – and you into a true home chef.

      

    Where to start?

    Learn the secrets to smoking tasty Traeger recipes and making pizza at home. And cook amazing tri tip steak dinners.

    Or, fall in love with something new to cook with your air fryer, pellet smoker, BBQ grill, sous vide cooker, and more…

    You’ll notice, I kind of geek out over new cooking trends and tools!

    Instagram me @sipbitego & chef hubs @handmodelpatrick

    My story. Growing up, I didn’t learn to cook.

    (I was actually banned from cooking for years)

    And then in my 20’s I didn’t have to cook because my job as an event planner involved a lot of travel and it was easier to eat out. At the time, I was 100% positive that restaurant food would always taste better than cooking at home, and there was nothing I could do about it.

    Until I fell in love with a chef. He would come over and cook me delicious meals right in my own kitchen. My mind was blown.

    Since then, I’ve been on a mission to figure out easy ways to make restaurant style food at home and share it here on Sip Bite Go.

    Love to eat out and travel? I can totally relate. See my guide on where to eat in Portland, OR.

    jenna passaro the home chef's sous vide cookbook

    Never in a million years did I imagine I’d ditch the 9-5 lifestyle in my late 20’s, move across the country on a whim, start a new life, start a food blog, and write a book.

    But here I am!

    See my book on Amazon: The Home Chef’s Sous Vide Cookbook.

     

       

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