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This velvety smooth vegan zucchini soup is made with fresh ingredients and basil leaves for addictive summery flavors in every bowl. A foolproof one-pot recipe, you can make this summer soup whenever you need a quick and easy appetizer or side dish. Slow cooker and Instant Pot instructions included.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Zucchini Basil Soup
Like zucchini stir fry and vegan zucchini bread, and zucchini salad, this easy vegan zucchini soup is a fantastic way to indulge in fresh zucchini this summer. And because it’s a breeze to make in one pot in only 30 minutes, you can quickly whip up a batch anytime you need a refreshing summer appetizer, side dish, or healthy lunch.
A handful of fresh ingredients are all you need to make this simple zucchini basil soup. Zucchini is simmered in water with aromatics, seasonings, and fresh basil leaves, then puréed until you’re left with a herbaceous and surprisingly creamy soup. Top every bowl with crunchy croutons or fresh basil, and indulge!
Looking for more vegan summer soup recipes? You’ll also like this Creamy Asparagus Soup, Tomato Gazpacho, and Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Soup.
The Ingredients and Substitutes
10-ish ingredients are all it takes to make this easy zucchini soup. Please refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
To make this recipe oil-free, sauté the onion and garlic in a splash of vegetable broth or water instead. Omit the extra virgin olive oil at the end, too.
Use vegetable broth as a substitute for the water for a savory flavor.
What Else Could I Add?
- More fresh herbs: While basil and zucchini are a match made in heaven, you can add even more fresh herbs to this soup, like oregano, parsley, or thyme.
- Fresh vegetables: Turn this into a zucchini vegetable soup by adding diced summer squash, tomatoes, celery, bell peppers, peas, or spinach to the soup.
- More garlic: I find that 2 garlic cloves are all it takes to give this soup a perfect punch of flavor; however, you can add even more or swap the cloves for a head of roasted garlic for even more garlicky goodness.
- Savory flavor boosters: Stir in a spoonful of white miso or a teaspoon of vegan Worcestershire sauce for a savory boost.
- Citrus: For a fresh citrusy flavor, add a spritz of lemon or lime juice.
- Creamy things: Stir a dollop of dairy-free yogurt, a can of full-fat coconut milk, or silken tofu into the soup at the end to make it twice as creamy.
- Plant protein: Simmer a can or two of white beans with the veggies to give this soup a boost of plant protein. Or, stir crispy baked tofu, canned chickpeas, or hemp seeds in at the end.
How to Make Vegan Zucchini Soup
Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and recipe instructions.
Step 1: Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onion and sauté until translucent.
Step 2: Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add the zucchini, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt to the pan.
Step 4: Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes more.
Step 5: Pour the water into the pan.
Step 6: Heat the water to a simmer and cook until the zucchini is tender.
Step 7: Add the basil to the pan and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it’s completely smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve in bowls with a drizzle of oil over top.
Don’t have an immersion blender? Transfer half the zucchini and basil mixture to a regular blender, blend until smooth, and pour into a large bowl. Repeat with the second half of the soup.
FAQs
Sure! To make zucchini soup in a slow cooker, sauté the onion and garlic in a saucepan as normal before dumping the mixture into a crockpot with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on Low for 4 hours. Purée the soup when it’s ready, then serve.
Yes, you can make zucchini soup in the Instant Pot instead. Sauté the onion and garlic in the Instant Pot using Sauté mode, then turn off Sauté mode and add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Seal the lid on top, seal the pressure valve, and cook on Manual Pressure for 5 minutes.
No, there’s no need to peel the zucchini before you add it to the soup.
Technically, yes, you can use 2 to 3 tablespoons of dry basil if you can’t find fresh basil. Just keep in mind that dry herbs aren’t as fresh or flavorful, so the herbaceous flavors in the soup may fall a little flat.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Be careful with blending: Blending hot things in a regular standing blender, like hot soup, can be dangerous. For safety, make sure to only fill the blender halfway to allow space for the steam.
- Try not to overheat the basil: Avoid over-blending the soup to maintain the basil’s fresh, herbal flavors.
- Don’t skip the oil drizzle! After ladling the zucchini soup into bowls, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top. This adds a restaurant-quality rich mouthfeel to each spoonful.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this zucchini soup as an appetizer, for a light lunch, or as a side dish with your favorite summer meals. It’s delicious as-is but I much prefer toppings on every bowl, like croutons, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, basil leaves, red chili flakes, and/or fresh cracked pepper.
Serve the zucchini soup with these meals and more:
- Pair each bowl with roasted summer vegetables, like roasted cherry tomatoes, rosemary potatoes, and roasted asparagus.
- Next to this sweet potato lasagna or avocado pesto pasta for dinner.
- Serve it with a side salad, like my green bean salad or pear salad, for a simple, wholesome meal.
- With black bean and bulgur burgers, this tempeh sandwich, or a BBQ chickpea wrap for an epic summer dinner.
- Keep it simple by pairing the soup with a thick slice of crusty sourdough bread, vegan garlic bread, or homemade vegan focaccia.
What’s better is that you can serve this soup hot or cold! When it’s just too hot to cook, treat yourself to a chilled bowl to be instantly refreshed.
Storage Instructions
Once cooled to room temperature, transfer the soup to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Zucchini soup also freezes well for up to 2 months. I like to freeze soup in individual containers, like souper cubes, to make it easier to reheat individual portions.
Allow the leftovers to thaw in the fridge overnight before serving or reheating. Enjoy the leftover chilled soup right out of the fridge or reheat it in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. If it has separated at all, quickly blend the soup to make it creamy again.
Vegan Zucchini Soup
Ingredients
- ¼ cup of neutral (canola, vegetable) oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 pounds of zucchini, chopped
- ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- Pinch of salt
- 3 cups of vegetable broth
- ⅓ cup of basil leaves, packed
- Salt and pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, then add the onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the zucchini, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt, and cook 5 minutes more. Add the vegetable broth and simmer until the zucchini is tender, around 15-20 minutes.
- Transfer half the zucchini mixture to a blender, add half the basil, and puree until smooth, and transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the other half of the zucchini mixture and basil. (Or, if you have an immersion blender, you can add the basil to the zucchini mixture and puree the whole thing right in the pot.) Season to taste with salt and pepper, and optionally serve with a drizzle of olive oil over the top.
Notes
- Be careful with blending: Blending hot things in a regular standing blender, like hot soup, can be dangerous. For safety, make sure to only fill the blender halfway to allow space for the steam.
- Try not to overheat the basil: Avoid over-blending the soup to maintain the basil’s fresh, herbal flavors.
- Don’t skip the oil drizzle! After ladling the zucchini soup into bowls, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top. This adds a restaurant-quality rich mouthfeel to each spoonful.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Everything came from the garden and I renamed it Silky Summer Soup. I replaced 1C of water with veg stock and thought about adding some coconut milk, but, it was too good to mess with.
Love that it came from your garden! Bet it was extra delicious!
A wonderful soup! I really loved how creamy it was without the addition of any cream. Very light and perfect for the summer. I skipped the oil and used vegetable broth instead of water. We served it with cheezy toasts.
Yum! Bet it was extra delicious with the cheezy toast!
I made this soup today with fresh garden zucchini and basil, so simple and delicious. Instead of water I used some vegan veggie stock.
Love the veggie stock addition!