This week started with a few days of intensive work with MAV (virtually) on our new project. Once we wrapped things up, I was anxious to get back into the kitchen where I had piles of summer produce waiting for me.

When faced with nearly two pounds of zucchini, I was determined to try something other than my grilling and sweet baked goods stand-byes. Flipping through Great Food Fast (with recipes from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine) which is conveniently organized by season, I found a recipe for Curried Zucchini Soup. I had everything it called for on hand—zucchini, onion, potato—but decided to enhance the texture and flavor with something else I had on hand, a half-empty can of coconut milk. I also left out the tablespoon of salt it called for and used a flavorful stock in place of water.

The result was velvety smooth with just a hint of heat from the curry. I topped it with toasted almonds as suggested in the original recipe, and it made for the perfect cloudy day summer lunch. This soup can also be eaten chilled. I stored my leftovers in a glass jar in the fridge and tried it unheated the next day—also delicious.

Curried Zucchini Soup with Coconut Milk
adapted from Great Food Fast

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 1/2 pounds zucchini (I used 3 medium-sized), sliced thick
1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 cups stock (the original recipe just calls for water)
2/3 cup coconut milk

toasted almonds for garnish

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and curry powder and continue to cook, stirring constantly until fragrant (another minute).

2. Add the zucchini, potato and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender (15-20 minutes).

3. Add coconut milk. Puree with immersion blender or in batches in blender until very smooth and velvety. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Seasoning depends on stock and potency and freshness of curry powder (my soup needed very little seasoning).

See you in a few weeks!

—SCB