This silky roasted courgette soup is packed with flavour, from slow-cooked courgette and garlic blitzed with peas and basil, and finished with ciabatta croutons.
Anyone who has grown courgettes will be familiar with the annual cycle... you lovingly tend your little courgette plants for months, proudly watching them grow from delicate seedlings into big, bushy plants, then BOOM - 37 courgettes appear from nowhere and are all ready to be picked on the same day. You're pretty sure that's it and you've picked every last one, then a couple of days later, BOOM - there are now seven marrows as long as your arm and you're running out of courgette recipes.
If you're 'enjoying' a courgette glut at the moment, you will be delighted to know two things about this roasted courgette soup recipe: a) it uses (up) THREE large courgettes, and b) it freezes really well in portions, so you can make a double (or triple!) batch, and enjoy the fruits of your veg patch or allotment through the cold winter months too.
But this soup is far better than just using up excess produce. Roasting the courgettes and leeks brings out their sweetness, and the star of the show is actually the roasted garlic cloves which mellow in the oven so you get all their garlicky goodness with none of the death breath.
A decent blender will make this soup silky smooth, so the crispy ciabatta croutons and pine nuts are a perfect pairing to top it off. Do keep the blender (or food processor) running for a good minute or so for the smoothest possible soup - it is tempting to just blitz for 5-10 seconds until it looks puréed, but in fact it takes longer than you think to get a really super-smooth result, and to blitz through those courgette skins and leeks. Take your time!
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👩🏽🍳 Variations
You can easily play around with the flavours and ingredients here to give some variety, (handy if you're using up LOTS of courgettes!). How about...
- Roasting some fennel in with the courgettes for a sweet, slightly anniseed-y flavour?
- Adding a good handful of fresh mint instead of or as well as the basil?
- Crumbling some vegan feta (Violife's Greek-style cheese is really excellent) over the soup just before serving?
- Add some orzo pasta or pearl barley to bulk out the soup into a meal in itself?
❄️ Freezing your Courgette Soup
As I mentioned earlier, this, like most soups, freezes beautifully - and what better way to stock your freezer with home-grown produce through the winter months?
I mention in quite a few of my soup recipes that I like to freeze soup in old margarine tubs - they are the perfect size for a one-bowl portion, and stack beautifully in the freezer. Just don't forget to label and date them, or you end up playing the identify-the-mystery-soup game!
🔪What else can I make with courgettes?
If you're making your way through a big pile of courgettes, you might be interested in these recipes:
- My Creamy Courgette Curry is packed with flavour and gently spiced, with a creamy coconut sauce.
- For the more adventurous, a recipe for Courgette Kimchi that my blogging friend Kavita reviewed from a new cookery book. I’m definitely trying this, it looks epic!
- This Courgette and Freekeh Salad by another blogging friend Emma looks totally delicious. I’m a recent convert to Freekeh and this is the sort of ‘substantial salad’ I love in a lunchbox in the warm summer months.
- For a lovely homemade and homegrown gift from the kitchen, take a look at my easy Courgette Chutney.
- Or if you have some of those really huge courgettes or marrows hanging around, my creamy Marrow Soup with coconut milk is just what you're after.
⭐️ Reader Testimonials
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "This soup is fantastic! All the flavours complement each other without any of them being overpowering. I always have a glut of courgettes & was looking for a different soup. I’m so pleased I found your site Kate, I’ll be trying lots more of your recipes & have subscribed to your newsletter. Thank you so much for the recipe 😌" Carole
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Made this today with leeks and courgettes from my garden – it is utterly delicious with gorgeous depth of flavours. Will be recommending this for the community cafe I work in! Thank you" Sandy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "This is the most delicious soup I’ve ever made, hands down. My partner loves it so much he’s insisted I write the recipe out in case we ever lose the link… The roasted garlic is a genius addition, makes a huge difference. Thanks very much indeed for an excellent few dinners and lunches." Lily
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🍽 If you liked that...
.... you might also enjoy these vegan recipes from The Veg Space:
📖 Recipe
Roasted Courgette Soup with peas & basil
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 950 g courgettes (zucchini) (about 3 large courgettes)
- 1 leek
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive or rapseed oil
- 750 ml vegetable stock (check it is vegan)
- 200 g frozen peas
- 75 g dairy-free parmesan (optional)
- 20 g fresh basil
- 4 tbsp dairy-free cream (or milk)
For the croutons:
- 1 ciabatta roll
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC (fan) / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4.
- Trim the ends off the courgettes and slice them into chunks about 1cm thick. Place on a baking tray / roasting tin. Trim the ends off the leek and slice into rounds of a similar size. Place on the baking tray along with the garlic cloves (still in their skin), then drizzle everything in the olive or rapeseed oil, season with salt and black pepper, and toss everything together until fully coated in the oil.
- Roast the veg for 40-45 minutes, stirring/turning occasionally, until soft and golden brown (but not too charred).
- Meanwhile, make up the vegetable stock with boiling water in a heatproof jug, then tip in the frozen peas and set aside to let them thaw.
- When cool enough to handle, squeeze the flesh out of the roasted garlic cloves and discard the skins.
- Tip the roasted vegetables into the blender or food processor, along with the stock and peas, most of the dairy-free parmesan and basil (keep a little of both back for garnish), and the dairy-free cream. Blitz to a smooth purée then taste and add salt and black pepper as required.
- To make the croutons, cut the ciabatta into cubes, toss in the olive oil and bake in the oven for 5 minutes until crispy. Roughly chop the pine nuts and scatter over the croutons and cook for a further minute until starting to brown.
- Serve the soup with a sprinkle of basil and dairy-free parmesan, topped with the croutons and pine nuts, and with a swirl of dairy-free cream.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION
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Nutrition
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Added nutritional yeast, cider vinegar, chili flakes, only had coconut milk (drink, not can). No leeks, red onions instead. It was tasty!
Lovely soup! I've done courgette soup many times a a way to use up a glut at this time of year but the Roasted garlic really adds a wow factor. This is now a firm family favourite. I didn't bother with the croutons because I'm lazy.
That's great to hear, thanks Jeni! X
Absolutely gorgeous soup. Saving this recipe for when I have an abundance of zucchini later this summer. Yum!
amazing recipe! thank you so much for sharing. making it again this weekend 🙂
That's great to hear, thanks Pam
Also - the pic of the roasted courgettes is certainly not one of 3 large courgettes. With that many, they cannot all lie on the bottom of the tray.
You will also notice there is no leek in with the courgettes.
This is one of these 'mine didn't look like that' recipes. Always guaranteed to irritate.
1) I roasted the veg and there was so much water in the courgettes that it was mushy not roasted. Should these be hollowed out first? The 'chunks' mentioned are actually courgettes sliced lengthways,, then sliced across in 1cm (?) thick. Why not say so?
2) Adding the frozen peas to the stock doesn't cook the peas - it just defrosts them. The whole combination needs heated afterwards.
3) Unless you have a large blender, it is best to blend the mix before adding the peas/stock mixture for further blending.
I will have to retry after I've managed to roast tthe veg minus the water.
I love courgettes and your soup looks fabulous! Didn't know you could freeze this! Very handy.
This soup is fantastic! All the flavours complement each other without any of them being overpowering. As it’s summer I might also try it chilled, like a green gazpacho.
I always have a glut of courgettes & was looking for a different soup to my usual courgette & dolcelatte, (which is delicious, I’m not vegan)
I’m so pleased I found your site Kate, I’ll be trying lots more of your recipes & have subscribed to your newsletter.
Thank you so much for the recipe 😌
Made this today with leeks and courgettes from my garden - it is utterly delicious with gorgeous depth of flavours. Will be recommending this for the community cafe I work in! Thank you
This is the most delicious soup I've ever made, hands down. My partner loves it so much he's insisted I write the recipe out in case we ever lose the link... The roasted garlic is a genius addition, makes a huge difference.
Somehow hadn't heard of veg space before this, but will be bookmarking now! Thanks very much indeed for an excellent few dinners and lunches.
Thats so lovely to hear, thanks Lily! X
I just made this and it was delicious! I have lots of courgette plants at my allotment and so I feel I shall be making this a lot this summer.
What a wonderful looking soup.I love the colours and roasted garlic is just THE most amazing ingredients for soup.Pinned.Thankyou for sharing #CookBlogShare
This soup sounds so delicious! I love courgettes but I am the only one in my family who likes them unfortunately! I still get them and try to tempt everyone else and this soup would make a delicious lunch for me even if no on else would eat it. Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice x
I'm not sure I've ever had a courgette soup before, but it sounds delicious - especially with the addition of peas and basil!! And such a fab way to use up a glut 😀 Eb x
I always have zucchini in my fridge even year around. One of my favorite veggies. Never thought to turn them into soup. Will be trying this soon.
Me too Stephanie, and I'm not sure why I haven't tried soup with them before, it is so silky and creamy - delish!
I'm in love with this idea...and it's zucchini season!! Love it that you offer dairy free and conventional ingredient options. Just pinned and will be bookmarking for later. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Thanks Traci!
This soup is such a gorgeous color, and the combination of flavors just convinced me to give it a try!
Great! Let me know how it goes.
This is delicious ......
I have never tasted a better courgette soup.
I have zucchini growing in my garden and expect it will go crazy as usual! Adding this recipe to my list because I get tired of the same old thing with zucchini and this sounds soooo good!
It always does! This is great for using up the bigger ones.
I love this color of the soup! I have to try this for lunch soon!
It is lovely isn't it - I love that you never really know what colour your soup will end up until you turn on your blender!
I've never heard of a courgette before! I can't wait to try one now, this soup sounds amazing!
No way! They are called zucchini in the US. You must try one!