Perfect for summer - chilled zucchini and leek soup

I can’t emphasise enough how perfect this chilled zucchini and leek soup is for an Australian summer – it’s refreshingly satisfying on a hot day like today, and every featured vegie is in season right now. It also takes all of 15 minutes to cook, plus chill time.

Wild fennel, green and yellow zucchini, leeks and garlic

The vegies in this soup are also all so easy to grow and exceptionally good for you – you can find out all about my zucchini crop here and my leek crop here. I’ve also previously mentioned how to grow potatoes here. Ironically, this year’s potato crop has failed to sprout but enough potatoes hid during the last harvest that they’ve grown a new crop all on their own! Each time I pull up a purple cabbage I get another handful of spuds – how perfect is that! The single potato in this recipe adds creaminess without making the soup stodgy.

The sautéed greens, ready for the potato and water.

 As forecast in my last post, the zucchinis have now hit their peak growth period, aka the glut, where they’re the perfect size for picking in three days but double that size within another two days! So this soup is also perfect for dealing with that zucchini that hid under the leaves and went unnoticed until it was suddenly as long as your forearm.

I’ve used a frond of wild fennel as it’s growing in my front yard but dill will work fine. Tarragon or lemon thyme would also taste great.

The soup can be served hot or cold depending on the temperature in your part of the world.

Chilled zucchini and leek soup

Serves 4

2 normal zucchini (or 1 forgotten zucchini), diced

2 leeks, white stalk only, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 medium size potato, diced

A sprig of dill (or a fennel frond), chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

1.5 litres boiling water

Salt and pepper

Pour a good slosh of olive oil into a large saucepan over a low-medium heat. Add the leek and garlic and cook gently for the next several minutes, stirring regularly, until they’re soft and translucent. Add the zucchini and sauté for a few minutes, then add the potatoes, pour in the water, stick the lid on and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Add the fennel/dill and blend the soup until smooth. If you have a stick blender (also known as an immersion blender), you can blend the soup hot or cold. Otherwise, let it cool before putting it in a normal blender.

Season well with salt and pepper. If serving the soup chilled, add an extra pinch of salt as the cold does subdue the flavours a little.

Place in the fridge until cool, then serve immediately.

Chilled zucchini and leek soup with fennel pollen