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Zucchini and Lettuce Soup With Pesto Recipe

J. Kenji López-Alt
Published: Last Updated:
Zucchini and Lettuce Soup With Pesto Recipe

Pesto is the not-so-secret flavor bomb in this soup. [Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

After coming home to a late-summer glut of garden produce, with a container full of pesto and a pile of zucchini and lettuce at my disposal, I did the only reasonable thing and put them all together. The result is this creamy, bright summer soup, packed with flavor from a dollop of pesto stirred into it just before serving.

Why It Works

  • Rice thickens the soup without muting its flavor.
  • Pesto adds a big jolt of more flavor just before serving.

Read more: Pesto Is the Not-So-Secret Flavor Bomb in This Creamy Summer Soup

  • Yield:Makes about 2 1/2 quarts, serving 6 to 8
  • Active time: 30 minutes
  • Total time:40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (about 6 ounces; 170g)
  • 2 medium stalks celery, chopped (about 4 ounces; 130g)
  • 1 large carrot, chopped (about 4 ounces; 130g)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon (about 3g) whole coriander seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon (about 2g) fennel seed
  • 1/4 cup dry rice (about 1 1/2 ounces; 50g)
  • 1 pound zucchini, split in half lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 large zucchini; 450g)
  • 6 ounces lettuce or spinach, washed (about 6 cups packed leaves)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves (1/4 ounce; about 7g)
  • 1 teaspoon (about 3g) fresh lemon zest
  • To Serve:
  • 1 recipe pesto

Directions

  1. 1.

    Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add coriander, fennel seed, and rice and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add zucchini and stir to combine. Add lettuce, a handful at a time, stirring until wilted, until all the lettuce is incorporated.

  2. 2.

    Add bay leaves and heavy cream, then add enough water to cover all of the vegetables (about 2 quarts/1.9L). Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in basil and lemon zest.

  3. 3.

    Working in batches, transfer soup to the jar of a blender. Start blender on low speed and gradually increase to high. Continue blending until completely smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Pour into a clean pot and repeat with remaining soup. Season soup to taste with more salt and pepper as necessary.

  4. 4.

    Serve soup with a generous dollop of pesto stirred into each bowl.

This Recipe Appears In
Pesto Is the Not-So-Secret Flavor Bomb in This Creamy Summer Soup

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J. Kenji López-Alt Chief Culinary Advisor

J. Kenji López-Alt is a stay-at-home dad who moonlights as the Chief Culinary Consultant of Serious Eats and the Chef/Partner of Wursthall, a German-inspired California beer hall near his home in San Mateo. His first book, The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science (based on his Serious Eats column of the same name) is a New York Times best-seller, recipient of a James Beard Award, and was named Cookbook of the Year in 2015 by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Kenji's next project is a children’s book called Every Night is Pizza Night, to be released in 2020, followed by another big cookbook in 2021.

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