Cream of Zucchini Soup (Crema De Calabacitas)

Submitted by Bayhill

"Posted for the Zaar World Tour-Mexico. From "Mexican Cookery" cookbook. This recipe is a tasty way to use up an over abundance of zucchini from the garden."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 10mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 4 medium zucchini (1-lb.)
• 2 cups water
• salt
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons onions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 (13 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 cup chicken broth
• cilantro leaf (garnish)

directions

1. Wash zucchini. Cut off stem ends, then cut into large pieces. Place in a saucepan. Add water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Cool zucchini in cooking liquid.
2. Place zucchini, 1 cup cooking liquid and 2 Tablespoons cilantro in a blender; process until pureed.
3. Heat butter in a medium saucepan. Add onion. Cook until tender but not browned. Stir in flour. Cook 1 minute. Add pureed zucchini mixture, evaporated milk and chicken broth. Stir to blend. Season with salt if needed. Stir over medium heat until soup comes to a boil.
4. Serve at once or chill and serve cold. Garnish each serving with a few whole cilantro leaves.

Reviews

[louisekline1]

I just made the soup and used some chicken base in place of the chicken broth. Used an immersion blender instead of a regular one to blend the soup. Added about 1 tbl. of minced garlic and the flavors blended nicely.

 

[Outta Here]

This is really simple to make and very tasty! I did not use water to cook the zukes, but used chicken broth, which gave it extra flavor. I added all of the cooking liquid to the blender and only added another 1/2 cup additional broth. I might add more cilantro next time since we really like that flavor.

 

[Evelyn N.]

After reading reviews, I did make a few changes. I grated my zucchini and cooked it in chicken broth - about half of the amount of original cooking water. I think this is pretty important - when you cook a mild veggie in water and then throw away half of the water... much better to keep all the flavor. I did not puree anything, used regular milk instead of evaporated milk (like the flavor better), using a little extra flour to make up for it in thickness. Minced in a bit of garlic along with the onion, and also added a splash of balsamic vinegar. After taking it off the heat, I also melted in about an ounce of shredded cheddar cheese. Made for a very nice lunch. Thanks for the base recipe!

 

[leroche]

This soup is bland. I couldn't even bring myself to put an exclamation point behind the word "bland," that's how bland it is. I followed the recipe to the letter and am in the process of trying to save it. I've added kosher salt, habanero seasoning, chili powder, celery salt...nothing. I had some chicken breast that I had marinated in olive oil and lemon juice, chopped it up and threw it in. Waa waa. I just added a bag of corn and may chop up a pepper and add it. It's one potato away from turning into a chowder. It will turn out fine eventually; maybe the problem is that I was expecting flavor from zucchini and was enthused about the ingredients.

 

[JackieOhNo!]

I made this exactly as posted, and the end result was a mildly flavored cream soup. I definitely agree that this would make a wonderful base for a heartier soup or chowder by the addition of some chunky vegetables and meat. It is also would make a nice side cup of soup to a grilled cheese or other type of sandwich, but is not very filling on its own. It's a great way to use up your zucchini bounty in a new and different way. Made for ZWT 8.