Zucchini-Onion Soup

I went to the Tower Grove Farmer's Market this morning in search of fruit, but I walked away with several zucchini--two large and four small--and a bunch of green onions.  Accordingly, I whipped up an easy zucchini soup for lunch and made plans to bake a zucchini cake for the holiday.

Like acorn squash, zucchini is the the mature fruit of Cucurbita pepo. I discussed this plant and its cultivation a bit in April's post on baked acorn squash, so I won't retread the topic here.  The zucchini as we know it was not grown in the New World prior to European contact, as the variety was first developed in Italy from C. pepo in the late nineteenth century--hence its wonderfully Italian moniker.  Elsewhere in Europe, the fruit is often referred to by its French name, the courgette.

Starting Point: Zucchini-Leek Soup by Carol Gelles.

I first thawed two freezer bags' worth (2 cups) of my New World harvest broth.  I then coarsely shredded one large and one small zucchini, yielding about 2 1/2 cups of shreds.  I heated 1 1/2 teaspoons of sunflower oil in a saucepan and added 3/4 cup of sliced green onion (white and light green parts; about 8-9 large onions).  (The green onions are subbing for ramps, as usual.)  I cooked the onions for about a minute, then added the broth, 1 cup of water, and the zucchini shreds.  I brought the whole thing to a boil, then reduced to a simmer and let it cook for 10 minutes, uncovered.

I removed the soup from the heat and allowed it to cool on the stovetop for about 10 minutes.  I don't own a large-size food processor--no additional gadgets, thanks--so I then transferred the soup to my two-speed, 6-cup Oster blender in two batches, blending until relatively smooth.  Unless you like your vegetable soups bland, I recommend adding salt and black pepper.  If you don't mind cheating a little with some European herbs, throw a teaspoon of oregeno, marjoram, or thyme in there when you add the zucchini.  Serve hot or cold with a chunk of crusty bread and you're golden.