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Simple and savory, this cream of zucchini soup is made with roasted zucchini, onions, and garlic, then blended with rich, real cream to create a velvety texture. It’s bursting with flavors and perfect for a cozy meal that will leave you wanting more.
If you love creamy soups, be sure to try my other favorites, like creamy tortellini soup and creamy crack chicken soup. They’re just as delicious and comforting!
Cream of mushroom, cream of potato, cream of asparagus – creamy veggie soups are so delicious and comforting, and this homemade cream of zucchini is right up there with the best of them!
I love making this light and nourishing zucchini soup recipe to serve as a simple lunch or part of a light dinner. With a hearty salad and bread, this is one that even picky eaters will love.
In fact, I highly recommend making this savory, creamy soup if you are trying to get your kids to like zucchini! Since the soup is blended, the zucchini’s texture (which is often what picky eaters really dislike about veggies) won’t be an issue. And, with plenty of garlic, butter, onion, and seasoning blended right on in, the flavor is out of this world!
What You’ll Need
For an easy zucchini soup recipe like this one, you don’t need a lot of fancy ingredients—just the veggies, broth, cream, and seasonings.
- Zucchini: No need to peel it; just slice or chop the zucchini.
- Olive Oil: For roasting the zucchini.
- Butter: For sautéing.
- Onion: You can use a sweet, white, or yellow onion, whichever you prefer.
- Garlic: I recommend using fresh garlic to really make this recipe shine.
- Parsley and Thyme: Again, fresh is best, but dried herbs would be fine as well.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Simple seasoning to enhance all the flavors.
- Vegetable Broth: You can substitute chicken broth if you prefer. Either way, I recommend using low sodium broth so that you can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Cream: Heavy cream gives the richest result, but half and half would also work.
- Bacon and Croutons: Crisply cooked diced bacon and croutons are great options for serving this creamy soup.
- Chopped Fresh Parsley: For garnish.
How to Make Cream of Zucchini Soup
Since this creamy soup is blended, it’s good to have your blender out and ready before you start cooking. I think an immersion blender is easiest, but a regular blender is fine, too. Just be careful when blending hot soup.
- Roast the Zucchini. Preheat your oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Toss chopped zucchini with olive oil and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 10 to 11 minutes, or until tender.
- Sauté the Aromatics and Seasonings. In the meantime, melt butter in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add onions to the melted butter and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Stir in garlic and cook for 20 seconds. Stir in parsley, thyme leaves, salt, and pepper.
- Add Zucchini and Broth, and Simmer. Carefully add the hot roasted zucchini to the Dutch oven and cook for a minute or so. Pour in the vegetable broth, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce heat to a simmer; simmer for 5 minutes.
- Blend. Remove the cover and using an immersion blender, blend the soup until creamy and smooth. You can also use a blender. Stir in the heavy cream; cook for a minute or two, or until heated through.
- Finish the Dish and Serve. Taste the soup for salt and pepper and adjust as needed. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with cooked bacon, croutons, and parsley (if using).
Recipe Tips
It’s so easy to make zucchini soup, and you’ll want to make it all the time! You can customize it in so many ways. Here are just a few ways to tweak things and make the recipe work for you.
- Make It vegan: If you go this route, the flavor profile will be slightly different (but still amazing). Substitute full-fat coconut milk for the heavy cream, and use vegan butter or your favorite oil for sauteing.
- Use frozen zucchini: Soup is a great way to use frozen zucchini. Just thaw and gently squeeze out as much moisture as possible before roasting it.
- Use different squash: This basic soup recipe can also be used with yellow summer squash or even delicata squash!
- Add cheese: Make the final product a cheesy, indulgent soup by stirring in half a cup or so of your favorite shredded melting cheese, like Colby, cheddar, Gruyere, or mozzarella.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve my soups with salad, focaccia bread, or some kind of festive dipper—or all three! Crispy air fryer onion rings are so good with any dipping sauce, and make a great crunchy contrast to creamy zucchini soup!
These tender Macedonian dinner rolls are a family favorite, with feta cheese adding an extra zesty taste. Additionally, a hearty main course salad, like this apples and cheddar chicken salad, is full of flavor and color!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
To store leftover soup, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days or freeze it for up to 2 months. However, I don’t generally recommend freezing creamy soups, as the base often separates after freezing and thawing, resulting in a clumpy, grainy texture. If you do freeze leftovers, try blending the soup again after reheating to make it smoother.
To reheat, place the desired portion in a covered saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until piping hot.
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Cream of Zucchini Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound zucchini, sliced or chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 3 to 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy cream, you can also use Half & Half
- 4 slices bacon, diced and cooked to a crisp, for serving
- croutons, for serving, optional
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Toss the chopped zucchini with olive oil and transfer them to the baking sheet. Roast for 10 to 11 minutes or until tender.
- In the meantime, melt the butter in a Dutch oven or soup pot.
- Add onions to the melted butter and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Stir in parsley, thyme leaves, salt, and pepper.
- Stir the roasted zucchini into the pot and cook for a minute. Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
- Cover the pot and reduce heat to a simmer; simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove the cover and, using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it is creamy and smooth. You can also use a regular blender.
- Return the blended soup to the pot and stir in the heavy cream; cook for a minute or two or until heated through.
- Taste the soup for salt and pepper; adjust accordingly.
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish it with cooked crumbled bacon, croutons, and parsley, and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I just made this and it is fantastic! Instead of veggie broth, I used Better than Buillonโs Chipotle broth. It was a little spicy (next time Iโll use 1/2 veggie and 1/2 chipotle broth) but the smoky profile of the peppers, the silkiness from the heavy cream and the earthiness from the zucchini was amazing! Thank you for this recipe.