Courgette and Cheese Soup
An easy soup to make which is very unusual and tasty. The soup turns out similar to Broccoli and Stilton soup but with a thicker texture.
To clarify, courgettes are exactly the same as zucchini, just different names. The Americans tend to call them zucchini and Europeans tend to call them courgettes.
Courgettes originate from marrows and pumpkins which have been cultivated for several thousand years in Central and South America. From these plants the courgette was developed in Milan during the late 1800s. The italian name for a courgette is zucchino.
The best courgettes are no longer than 20cm and a length of 15cm is probably the best. At this size they have texture and the flavour has not yet been watered down.
1kg / 2.2lbs of courgettes
Potatoes (old) 250g / 9ozs
150g / 5oz of soft cheese
1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves
Bunch of fresh chives
Bunch of parsley
1 tablespoon of olive oil
850ml / 1½ pints of vegetable stock (2 stock cubes)
Salt and pepper to taste
Peel the potatoes then cut them into small cubes (roughly 1cm / ½in).
Peel the onion the slice it.
Peel and finely chop or crush the garlic.
Finely chop the chives and parsley.
First, the choice of cheese. This recipe uses unbranded, soft cheese because it is cheap. You could use any soft cheese though, brie and stilton taste good. But in the end, using more expensive soft cheeses didn't improve the taste as far as our taste buds were concerned.
We have been asked a couple of times if soft cheese can be bought at supermarkets. The picture below shows the Tesco version; Sainsbury's, Morissons and Aldi also stock it.
Tesco soft cheese
Next the courgettes - shop bought ones are excellent but if you have any ones in your garden these are also a free and perfect alternative. One comment at the end of this page also makes the point that even without the addition of soft cheese this soup tastes delicious - it definitely does.
It's also worthwhile considering the advice of the comment on 4 August 2021 if you would like to spice up this recipe slightly.
Heat the oil on a low heat and add the onions. Cook for five minutes stirring frequently. Add the cubed potatoes, five tablespoons of water and cook on a low heat for a further 10 minutes. Stir the mix frequently because the potatoes can stick to the bottom of the pan.
Cooking Courgettte and Cheese Soup
Add the courgettes, garlic, stock, salt and pepper to the pan and then bring it to the boil. Turn the heat down so the soup just simmers and cook for a further 15 minutes.
Liquidise the soup in a blender. Return the soup to the pan on a low heat. Add the chives, parsley and soft cheese. Stir continuously until the cheese is blended in. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve the soup with a crusty roll.
