Description

Soup season can last year round with this summer zucchini corn soup. Loaded with warm weather staples such sweet corn cut right off the cob and diced zucchini squash, plus traditional soup ingredients like celery, carrots, onions, and potatoes, you’ll want this chowder like soup all summer and fall long.

Ingredients

Scale

1 tbsp butter
3 strips smoked turkey bacon (chopped)
1/2 large white onion (diced)
2 stalks celery (sliced & diced)
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 heaping tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 lb potatoes (diced into 1/2″ cubes)
4 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1–2 zucchini squash (chopped)
4 ears of corn (shucked and kernels cut away from the cob)
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/8 tsp cayenne seasoning
salt & pepper (to taste)
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1–2 cups half and half

Instructions

Step: Melt the butter in a cast iron pot over medium heat. When the butter’s melted, add in the bacon. Stirring occasionally, until cooked- about 3-4 minutes.
Step: Stir in the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and thyme. Continue cooking until the vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
Step: Stir in the potatoes, broth, and bay leaf. Bring the heat to a quick boil, then lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the potatoes are at least half cooked.
Step: Stir in the zucchini and corn, and salt & pepper, to taste. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, and cook for another 10-12 minutes- or until the squash is tender.
Step: Take the bay leaf out, discard. Pour half the soup into another bowl, set aside. Using an immersion blender, puree the remainder. Transfer the two back together and stir to combine.
Step: Stir in the half and half, cayenne, parsley, and smoked paprika.
Step: Serve hot, with a thick slice of good bread.

Notes

While I highly recommend fresh corn cut off the cob, you could use frozen thawed corn instead. Want to add some protein to this? Chicken breast, shrimp, or even crab would all be delicious in this soup. You can adjust the seasoning to suit your tastes. For example, for more kick, up the cayenne pepper. For no kick, omit it.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Soup
Method: Simmering
Cuisine: American, Southern

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 254 kcal
Sugar: 9 g
Sodium: 729 mg
Fat: 12 g
Saturated Fat: 6 g
Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
Trans Fat: 0.1 g
Carbohydrates: 31 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 8 g
Cholesterol: 30 mg

Keywords: zucchini corn soup, summer soup, chowder style, vegetable soup