Asparagus and Zucchini Soup with Watercress Pesto

Yes, zucchini soup freezes well. We recommend you make two or three batches of this delicious soup so you'll always have a healthy recipe at hand when you don't feel like cooking.

The best of way to freeze this asparagus and zucchini soup is to let it cool down right in the pan. Then, with the help of a ladle, pour the soup into freezer-friendly tight seal containers or zip-top plastic freezer bags. Make sure to fill them at two thirds to prevent them from cracking as the water in the soup will expand as it freezes.

It will keep in the freezer for two to three months.

You can freeze this courgette cream right into single servings so you won't have to defrost the whole batch for just one meal.

Zucchini is an excellent addition to soups. They soften as they cook and make blended soups very creamy. Also, they add a hint of sweetness to the whole dish.

They go well in soups with vegetables which aren't too strong flavoured like tomatoes, potatoes, aubergines, and carrots.

When preparing the courgettes for your soup, trim the tips and chop the zucchini into chunks. Did you know that most of the fibres and antioxidants are in the skin? Avoid peeling these veggies to retain most of their beneficial compounds.

This creamy zucchini soup is incredibly healthy as courgette provide nutrients, fibres, and antioxidants in a satisfying low-calorie dish. Soups make a quick, balanced, and convenient meal which is perfect for any weight loss plan.

Zucchini is rich in vitamins, including vitamin A, B, and C, and iron, calcium, and zinc. Moreover, they contain antioxidants, including carotenoids lutein and beta-carotene. Antioxidants are essential for better health and wellbeing as they protect our cells from disease-causing free radicals ¹ .

The other great thing about this handy vegetable is that it's super low in carbs. That's why our zucchini soup recipe is a fabulous meal for those on a weight-loss diet.

Our soup has 300 kcal per serving. It also has less than 10% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) for carbohydrates and almost 30% RDI of fibres.

Because fibres take longer to digest, they make us feel full for longer. Having ways to suppress or delay our appetite is the best way to lose weight.

Thickening zucchini soup, like most other vegetable soups, is easy. There are many ways to do it. We will show you the most common below.

• Add starchy and fibre-rich vegetables, like potatoes. Add these to the soup while cooking and blend.

• Add one tablespoon of ground flaxseeds per serving while simmering the soup. Flaxseeds natural fibres will absorb water and expand into a gel-like mixture which thickens the soup. These seeds will also boost your meal with plant-based omega-3 and loads of fibres. 

• Add dairy products like single cream or yoghurt to make your soup creamy and silky. Make sure you add them at the end of the cooking time, or they will curdle if boiled.

• Add coconut milk or oat milk as a vegan alternative to dairy products.

• Add cashew cream made with soaked and blended cashew nuts. They're also great to boost proteins and healthy fats in your soup.

• Add starches like cornflour or potato starch. Similarly to flaxseeds, they will also give a jelly-like consistency to the soup. Whisk 1 tsp of starch with some cold water first, and then add it to the soup. Stir well while it thickens. Plain flour works well too.

• Add red lentils along with the vegetables and blend into a vibrant and thick soup.