Chilled Zucchini Soup With Lemon and Basil

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated October 11, 2023

  • A white bowl holds velvety green chilled zucchini soup with lemon and basil; a second serving and two silver spoons are partially in frame.
    Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
15 minutes, plus optional chilling
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Rating
4(1,065)
Comments
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During the warmest days, there is no more welcome promise than a no-cook meal. A blender or food processor makes quick work of this peak summer zucchini soup, which requires no cooking and is best served chilled. Cashews thicken the soup while adding a creamy silkiness and a gentle sweetness. Since taste buds don't register the flavors of cold foods as well as warm ones, chilled soups require generous seasonings. Here, the mellow raw zucchini is bolstered by the hefty use of garlic, miso, lemon juice and basil. The soup can be prepared ahead and chilled in the fridge for up to 24 hours or it can be served right away, chilled with ice cubes.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2 pounds zucchini, trimmed and roughly chopped

  • 2 cups basil leaves (about 2 ounces), plus more to serve

  • 1 cup roasted cashews (5 ounces), plus ¼ cup chopped roasted cashews to serve

  • 6 tablespoons lemon juice (from 2 lemons), plus more if needed

  • 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

  • 2 tablespoons white (shiro) miso

  • 2 cups vegetable stock

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • Ice cubes (optional)

  • Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

27 grams carbs; 376 calories; 16 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 28 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 1032 milligrams sodium; 11 grams protein; 9 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place the zucchini, basil, cashews, lemon juice, garlic, miso, vegetable stock and 2 teaspoons salt in a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth and silky. Taste and check seasonings, adding more salt or lemon juice as needed.

  2. Step 2

    Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or serve immediately, transferring the soup to a bowl and adding a few ice cubes if needed. Top with chopped cashews, a drizzle of olive oil, black pepper and a few basil leaves.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,065 user ratings
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Comments

Laurel Touby

In order to guarantee a creamy soup, first place the cashews, lemon juice and just 1/2 cup of the stock in the blender or food processor. Blend to create a creamy liquid. Then add zucchini, basil, garlic, miso, remaining vegetable stock and 1-2 teaspoons salt in the blender or food processor.

Dianne

This soup is delicious! Great way of using summer, zucchini, and basil. Adding mint takes it to the next level. Note to Cooking editors: it would be most helpful if you indicated the yield in cups rather than four servings. Who is to say how much is in a serving? If I knew this yielded 6 cups, I would’ve used a food processor instead of a blender. Using a blender, I had to do the recipe in multiple batches. From start to finish it took me 45 minutes to prepare this soup. Worth it.

ANewMexican

David, I’d soak almonds for a few hours or overnight, remove the skins, and use the hydrated nuts in place of cashews. The soaking really softens and plumps the almonds.

Molly White

I had about 2 quarts of shredded fresh zucchini so threw that in the Vitamix with all of the other ingredients outlined except used about a cup of sunflower butter instead of chopped cashews. I also followed one chef’s suggestion and added a bunch of fresh mint on top of the cup of fresh basil. I had some leftover creamed ricotta so I put that in, and I added a jar of garbanzo beans to thicken it up. Pretty tasty!

Lizzy

this Chilled Zuchinni Soup with Lemon and Basil is my absolute favorite method of micronutrientmaxxing on a hot summer night. a seriously good soup

Very good

I followed the tips suggesting making the cashew cream first. I used lime juice instead of lemon (it’s what I had) and added some mint. I only made a half recipe so I had no trouble making this in a single pass with my Ninja blender. Did add mint. Great, easy, will make again.

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