zucchini and fresh parsley soup

i’ve recently been making soup out of all sorts of things.  squash, kale, radish tops, spinach, green garlic, shallots, tomatoes.  you name it and i can make it into a soup.  last week at the echo park farmers’ market i got a ton of zucchini for just that purpose.  it’s soft so it will sauté and blend into a purée very well.

when deciding on which herb would really accent it’s flavor, i had a lot of choices.  oregano? yah. basil? duh. but fresh parsley…i liked the sound of that.  it’s light and fresh tasting, but much more mellow than it’s cousin, cilantro.  the parsley gives this soup a crisp taste which is lovely paired with the sweet and savory taste of the sauted onions and zucchini.

zucchini and fresh parsley soup
1 c chopped red onion
1 1/4 lb zucchini
1 1/2 tbsp vegan margarine
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
4 c water
3 bay leaves
15 sprigs of fresh italian (or curly) parsley

chop your red onion and zucchini into small pieces.  big enough to cook evenly but they don’t have to be too small since it’s all going to be blended in the end.

heat up the margarine and olive oil over high heat for a minute or two until they are hot.  add the onion, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes while stirring, until translucent.  then add the chopped zucchini and cook for 6-8 minutes until the zucchini also begins to look a bit translucent.

cover with the 4 cups water and throw in the bay leaves.  bring to a boil, turn the heat down to medium and cover.  let cook for about 20 minutes, then cut the heat.

remove the bay leaves, rinse the parsley and add it to the pot.  cover and let sit for about 5 minutes.

then, working in small batches, blend the soup into a fine purée.  be careful only to blend a cup or so at a time, hot liquids expand when they are blended so they can pop the lid right off your blender.  i always hold the top on firmly with my hand and start with a few quick pulses, then put it on a steady setting for 30-60 seconds.

the result is a light, but very flavorful and slightly spicy green soup!  this would be great to eat if you are starting to feel ill, since parsley has a number of health benefits, which include curing the common cold.

yields 4 servings