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This easy, creamy zucchini basil soup (or if you’re British, this courgette basil soup) is a truly healthy vegetarian soup recipe.
Lots of creamy vegetarian soups pile on the cream in order to create a rich taste and silky texture. But this healthy zucchini soup doesn’t need to.
We’ve used vegetable broth, garlic and scallions, alongside just a quarter cup of low fat cream cheese to give this healthy courgette soup all the flavour and richness it needs.
Topped with fried nuts and spinach leaves, this zucchini soup (ahem, courgette soup) is a joy to behold.
It’s also a super low calorie vegetarian soup at just 269 kcal per serving (so it makes the cut for our top low calorie soups !)!
Finally, forgive us for sitting on the fence with zucchini/courgette!
Although zucchini is used around the world, courgette continues to be the only name by which this vegetable is known in Britain!
Health benefits of easy zucchini basil soup (or easy courgette basil soup)
Zucchini is a low-calorie, high-nutrient food (did you know, it’s technically a fruit ?!). It’s a member of the squash family and shares their many health benefits.
Zucchini is high in vitamin B6 , in turn making this zucchini basil soup great for helping to regulate blood glucose and protecting against diabetes.
Zucchinis are also rich in multiple antioxidants, which protect your body against free radical damage that can cause cataracts and other eye problems.
On top of all these health benefits, zucchinis are low in calories – just 62 kcals in one cup serving – and carbohydrates – less than 1g per cup.
So, using zucchinis as the base for this courgette spinach soup recipe keeps the calories low and the health benefits high.
If you’re interested in how to lose weight while maintaining a sustainable calorie deficit, check out our vegetarian weight loss course !
You’ve gotta be spinach to win it
You didn’t think we’d stop at one vegetable for this zucchini basil soup, did you? Good, because we certainly didn’t.
This vegetarian soup recipe also contains 3 oz of spinach ; rich in iron , spinach helps keep energy levels up, and rich in nitrates, it can help improve blood flow and pressure.
If you’re on the lookout for more hearty vegetarian soups, this easy broccoli and cauliflower soup will fill you up. Alternatively, this creamy curried lentil soup is low on calories and big on flavour!
- Ideal for weight loss
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Ingredients
- 1 green onion (or scallion)
- 2 clove garlic
- 11 oz zucchini (courgette)
- 5 oz spinach
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ⅓ cup low fat cream cheese
- ½ cup basil, fresh (packed)
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 4 oz wholegrain bread (3 big slices)
- 1 tsp butter
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Roughly chop your green onion , garlic cloves and zucchini (courgette) . 1 green onion, 2 clove garlic, 11 oz zucchini
- In a medium size pot over medium heat add the olive oil , green onion, garlic and zucchini. Cook until veggies have a golden color. If the veggies start to stick, add a drop of hot water instead of more oil while cooking. 1 tsp olive oil
- Add basil and spinach leaves, low fat cream cheese , vegetable broth and black pepper . Simmer until the zucchini (courgette) is soft and tender, about 10 to 13 minutes. 5 oz spinach, ⅓ cup low fat cream cheese, ½ cup basil, fresh, 2 cups vegetable broth
- Meanwhile, cut the bread into pieces of about 1 inch. In a small pan melt the butter and add the bread pieces and seeds of choice, cook until they are golden brown and toasty. 4 oz wholegrain bread, 1 tsp butter, 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- Blend the soup, you can use a hand blender and process in the same pot. Take the soup back to the stove. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Finally, salt soup to taste. Salt and pepper to taste
- Serve soup topped with basil leaves, seeds and toasty bread pieces.
NOTES
- Make-ahead? Yes, prep the night before, it’ll be even more flavorful that way.
- Freezable? Yes, just reheat slowly.
Nutrition
Zucchini (Courgette) Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 green onion (or scallion)
- 2 clove garlic
- 11 oz ( 300 g ) zucchini (courgette)
- 5 oz ( 140 g ) spinach
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ⅓ cup ( 60 g ) low fat cream cheese
- ½ cup ( 12 g ) basil, fresh (packed)
- 2 cups ( 480 ml ) vegetable broth
- 4 oz ( 110 g ) wholegrain bread (3 big slices)
- 1 tsp butter
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Roughly chop your green onion , garlic cloves and zucchini (courgette) .
- In a medium size pot over medium heat add the olive oil , green onion, garlic and zucchini. Cook until veggies have a golden color. If the veggies start to stick, add a drop of hot water instead of more oil while cooking.
- Add basil and spinach leaves, low fat cream cheese , vegetable broth and black pepper . Simmer until the zucchini (courgette) is soft and tender, about 10 to 13 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the bread into pieces of about 1 inch. In a small pan melt the butter and add the bread pieces and seeds of choice, cook until they are golden brown and toasty.
- Blend the soup, you can use a hand blender and process in the same pot. Take the soup back to the stove. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Finally, salt soup to taste.
- Serve soup topped with basil leaves, seeds and toasty bread pieces.
