Zucchini, Pea, and Basil Soup

Zucchini is a vegetable that has entered the new vegetarian table in India. It is seen quite a bit, but mainly as a filler vegetable, something to add to create volume. The subtle flavour of this vegetable is yet to be fully appreciated.

This is a simple soup, but one that highlights the sweetness of zucchini. The large amount of basil complements the zucchini and peas wonderfully, lifting the soup from being boring. The final accent of salty feta cheese and lime zest makes this soup delicious.

I love all the Ottolenghi cookbooks. I have each and every one and cook from them often. His recipes span the globe, and every dish turns out very well. I must have cooked most of the book Plenty. This is a recipe I will cook often.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

5 Tbsp olive oil + more to garnish

20 cloves of garlic

6 medium zucchini, chopped

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 cups water

4 cups frozen peas

1 cup basil leaves

Feta, to garnish

Lemon, finely zested, to garnish

Method:

Heat the oil in a pot and add the garlic. Fry on medium-low heat until the garlic is lightly golden in colour. Take your time to cook the garlic; the slower it fries, the sweeter the flavour will be.

Add the zucchini and turn the heat up to high. Cook for 4 minutes, until the zucchini begins to take on a touch of colour. Low heat will make the zucchini stew, and we really do not want that.

Add the salt, pepper, water, peas, and basil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from teh heat and cool completely.

Pureeing with a hand blender or in a blender is also fine until you have a smooth soup. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve, if desired, for a uniform texture.

Serve hot with a piece or crumble of feta cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, and some lime zest as garnish.