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Late Summer Courgette & Garlic Soup

The Courgette Take Over

It’s that time of year again when the vegetable patch is spitting out big, juicy, courgettes faster than I can cook them.  Never one to waste anything, I wanted to do something with this latest batch that I could freeze and use when courgette season is over.

This soup fits the bill perfectly - its loaded with courgettes!

For me, courgettes don’t have a that much taste on their own and I find they tend to absorb flavours from the other ingredients. This garlic base makes all the difference - the soup is delicious!

Eat your first bowl straight away with a sprinkle of parmesan and some black pepper. It also reheats really well so keep it in the fridge for a few days or freeze and reheat it later.  So tasty!

Gill X

Preparation Time:
20 minutes
Cooking Time:
20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • Good glug of Perthshire Rapeseed Oil (or olive oil)
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Good handful of basil, chopped
  • 1kg courgettes sliced and chopped into quarters
  • 1 pint of vegetable stock
  • 100 ml single cream (optional)
  • 50g parmesan cheese, plus extra to decorate
  • salt and pepper to taste

    METHOD

    1. Heat the oil in a heavy based pan over a medium heat.
    2. Cook the garlic and basil slowly for a few minutes then add in the courgettes and continue to cook slowly for 10 minutes until the courgettes are softened.
    3. Add salt and pepper to taste then pour in the stock until it simmers.
    4. Using a hand blender blitz the soup until smooth.
    5. Add in the cream and parmesan.
    6. Serve in bowls with a sprinkling of parmesan. 

    Nicki's Tuppenceworth

    When Gill emailed me the courgette soup recipe I smiled all day. My sister Tracey and cousin Graham will never believe this wasn't my idea. When we were poor students in our late teens we all shared a flat (well Tracey and I did, Graham partied and ate there) and our Grandad would bring in bags of courgettes and tomatoes from the garden. It's like Gill said, you couldn't keep up with it.

    Skint as we were I decided free courgettes were better than bought anything and so I set about getting creative. We ate courgettes with EVERYTHING.  In macaroni, in bolognese, stir fried with gammon steaks instead of pineapple for a weekend treat! We knew how to live!

    If you ask either of them they will tell you they have never eaten courgettes since. Apparently I put them off for life. I don't beleive them. How could you resist? 

    I now make my courgette soup with fennel which, like Gill's garlic, is packed with flavour and adds a real kick.

    We'd love to know what you do with your courgettes - leave your comments here and share your tasty ideas.

    And as always, we love your pics - make it, snap it, share the love. Tag it with a #PerthLoveFest and send them into us!