Carrot and Zucchini Soup with Basil

This is the simplest of soups to make. Start with fresh, organic carrots (when available) and zucchini; add a sweet onion and a bit of basil to create a soup delicious both hot and cold.

I had my pick of herbs for this, and although dill seems to be prevalent in carrot soup, I really love basil paired with carrots, so I added it here and it works beautifully. The zucchini adds some depth and creaminess without any dairy needing to be added and the Vidalia is the perfect sweet note.

Carrot and Zucchini Soup with Basil
Printable Recipe
Serves 4

1 Tablespoon neutral oil
1 cup diced Vidalia onion
2 cups peeled and diced carrots (about 4 large)
2 cups diced zucchini - remove seeds if they are large
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tablespoon sweetener such as sugar, honey or agave syrup
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly chopped basil

1. In a large, heavy soup pot, saute onion in oil until translucent.
2. Add carrots, zucchini and stock.
3. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until carrots are tender.
4. Strain solids from stock and puree in a blender, with basil and sweetener added, until very smooth.
5. Add puree back to stock and stir well. Strain with a fine sieve, salt to taste and serve hot or cold.