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Recipe Detail Page
Nutty Yellow Zucchini Soup
Autumn 2022
The sunshiny colour of this soup contrasts its deep flavours. The rinds from two average-size vac-packed pieces of supermarket Parm are roughly what you need to make the soup. Ground almonds (the real secret here) can be found in the baking aisle.
Serves 8
3/4 cup (175 mL) ground almonds
5 tbsp (75 mL) olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 cups (1 L) chicken stock
2 cups (500 mL) water
2 lbs (905 g) yellow zucchini, about
4 medium, trimmed and cut into chunks
Pinch saffron
3 oz (85 g) Parmesan rind
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (250 mL) finely grated Parmesan
1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped toasted almonds
1. Add ground almonds to a large pot and set over medium-low heat. Stirring occasionally at first, then more frequently later on, dry-fry almonds until deep golden and fragrant. Scrape into a heatproof bowl and set aside.
2. Wipe pot clean, add 3 tbsp (45 mL) oil and return to medium-low. Fry garlic, stirring from time to time, until golden. Pour stock overtop. Add water, zucchini, saffron, Parmesan rind and ground almonds. Season with salt and pepper, cover and bring to a boil. Let cook 20 minutes.
3. While soup is cooking, prepare the garnish. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle a thin, even layer of Parmesan into pan, then sprinkle almonds overtop. Let cook undisturbed until lacy and lightly golden around edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately drizzle with remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) oil; let cool. Transfer fried cheese and oil to a bowl and crumble cheese into pieces.
4. Transfer soup to a blender and purée on high speed. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary. (Soup can be made up to 5 days in advance and refrigerated until ready to reheat and serve.) Spoon a little of the crumbled fried cheese, including some of the oil, over each bowl to serve.
Serves 8
