Zucchini Cream Soup with Ricotta and Tarragon Cream and Dill Oil
Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Recipes Vegetables Soups and Stews
An ordinary zucchini cream soup was totally transformed when I added a cheese cream and an herb oil to it. Even the hot pepper slices play their role in the final taste, they're not just decorative (although they look splendid among the shades of green), so don't omit them.
So in a single bowl we have creaminess, we have vibrant aromas, we have different textures...
Ingredients
Cream Soup
1 kg zucchini
1 medium onion
3 large cloves garlic
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter (20 g)
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt, black pepper
Ricotta and Tarragon Cream
200 g ricotta
2 heaping tablespoons chopped tarragon
4 sprigs parsley
zest from 1/2 small lemon (organic)
salt
Dill Oil
1 heaping tablespoon chopped dill
3 tablespoons olive oil (quality, the one for salads)
For Serving
bread croutons
1 red hot pepper
Servings: 4
How to prepare zucchini cream soup with ricotta and tarragon cream and dill oil
- Heat the oil in a pot. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until soft (about 5 minutes).
- Add the crushed garlic and sauté for 1 minute, until it smells pleasant.
- Add the diced zucchini (peel only if they're larger/older and have thick skin) and sauté for another 5 minutes with the onion. Add the butter during this time. Sprinkle with salt.
- Add water almost to cover (I added a full cup; about 300 ml). Bring to a boil and simmer covered over low heat until the zucchini are soft (about 15 minutes).
- Blend the pot contents in a food processor or with an immersion blender. While blending, grind black pepper and add the lemon juice. Adjust salt as well.
- For the cheese cream, blend all ingredients in a food processor until you have a pale green cream with small pieces of herbs throughout. Add salt to taste.
- For the dill oil, blend the dill with oil until the dill is very finely chopped. Let it sit until the soup is ready to give the oil time to infuse. Strain through a small, fine sieve (like a tea strainer) if you want clear oil (I didn't strain it this time).
* for croutons: I cut bread into cubes, drizzled with a little olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper and baked at 170°C for 10 minutes. - Serve the soup warm, portion it into bowls. Add a generous tablespoon of ricotta cream in each bowl, on the side. Sprinkle croutons and hot pepper slices in the center. Drizzle everything with 1 tablespoon of dill oil.
