No-Cream Creamy Basil Spinach Soup
Zucchini makes up the luscious base of this shockingly delicious, lifechanging no-cream creamy basil spinach soup. So healthy. So delicious. SO worth making!
You know how last week, I was all, like, find zucchini at all costs to make this cake and never use zucchini for another thing and blah, blah, blah? Yeah, well, forget those words ever came out of my mouth.
Because you are going to need some zucchini for this soup and I promise it’s going to be lifechanging. I swear I’m not even trying to be dramatic.
This soup is shockingly delicious.
It’s creamy with a thick, velvety texture that tastes like you are eating the most decadent soup in the universe. Except there isn’t any heavy cream (or dairy) in sight. Ready for the lifechanging part?
Zucchini makes up the luscious base of the soup. Zucchini! I know…get out! Zucchini is simmered in a garlic-leek broth and then blended to smithereens making a creamy base for the spinach and chicken (which by the way, I’ve left out the chicken completely a time or two making a great vegetarian meal).
It has left me laying awake at night wondering how I can use zucchini as a “cream” substitute elsewhere in my life.
Not only is it creamy and delicious, it manages to be one of the most healthful, loaded-with-veggie soups I’ve ever put in front of my family.
And additionally (I know, can you believe there’s more?), while I was a bit skeptical how it would be received, I mean it IS bright green for goodness’ sake, my kids ate so many helpings that there wasn’t any left when Brian got home late from work. I mean, who am I to say to my kids, “No sweetie, you need to stop eating a lifetime’s worth of spinach and zucchini now.” They were freaking out (in a good way) about the crazy green soup they were eating, positive it was giving them instant super-hero powers.
I’m pretty sure they renamed the soup “Hulk Soup.” And don’t worry, I’ve made it three times since so Brian’s been able to get his fill and flex his own muscles, too.
What to Serve With This
I usually serve this with some homemade bread and butter. Or grilled cheese. Or saltine crackers. And some fruit. Nothing fancy but seriously, it’s amazing.
My friend, Liz is the lovey who sent the recipe to me. She and I were inseparable best friends in our youth. Like, wearing matching outfits and making up choreographed routines to Michael Jackson songs. And I’m not even going to admit how long we played with our massive amounts of Barbies and accessories.
Friends like that? Well, you totally trust the recipes they send you. And this one has landed into one of my favorite soups of all time.
Get your hands on some zucchini and make it.
One Year Ago: Succulent Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Two Years Ago: S’mores Cookie Bars
Three Years Ago: Breaded Garlic Chicken in Lemon-Butter Sauce
No-Cream Creamy Basil Spinach Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 large or 2 medium leeks, green parts trimmed and discarded, white parts washed well and chopped
- 2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed, and chopped (about 4 cups total)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
- 2-3 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
- 1-2 cups cooked chicken
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the garlic, leeks and zucchini. Stir in the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, 3-4 minutes, until the leeks have softened. Add 1 cup of the broth, cover and cook, stirring every once in a while, until the zucchini is falling apart and very tender, 8-10 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender and add the basil. Carefully blend (in batches if needed). Pour the soup back into the pot. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth. Stir in the chopped spinach and cooked chicken and cook until heated through, 4-5 minutes.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from my childhood best friend, Liz P.
Mel, I agree with all the great things you say about this soup. Sometimes I add chicken sausage instead of chicken. I disagree with the quantity. For me it makes 2-3 servings. Last time I tripled it so I would have plenty of left overs. Thanks for all the great recipes.
Wow what an amazing soup! I made it vegetarian and then served with shrimps which I just defrosted and added some butter in the end. Soooo delicious!
To make this vegetarian and a complete meal, I use vegetable broth and substitute 1-2 cans cannellini beans instead of chicken. I purée the entire soup with an immersion blender. One of my favorites!
Thanks for this! I made it this same way tonight and it’s great. I also added a splash of apple cider vinegar. Yum!
Oh my. I decided to take a shot at this, figuring it would be a one time thing and maybe my husband and I would like it. But wow! Everyone raved about it! We were all sad that I hadn’t doubled the recipe. Definitely will make again soon, and we think it will be yummy to try with tortellini in it. And I LOVED that I got to use my garden fresh zucchini and basil in it. So fun! Thanks for another amazing recipe, Mel!
Yay! Thanks, Carolee!
Been making this for years. Love it every time!!
We had (a variation of) this for dinner last night…it was really tasty! I was intrigued by the color, (looks a bit like the green smoothies we have for breakfast) and the fact that it has fresh basil, and chicken? that seemed kinda weird. But, I trust you and, like I said, I was intrigued.
I’m going to make it again after the next grocery trip because I had used all my leeks the night before in a very tasty leek potato chicken basil sausage soup YUM! so I used a combination of green onions and celery…it brought it somewhere close, but I LOVE leeks in soup, so I’ve got to try it the way you posted it. Also, we served it over arborio rice (didn’t have time for the brown rice to cook when I thought of it, so went for the fastest option). It was a chilly (for us) winter night and the addition of the rice made it thick and so tasty.
My family loved it and wants me to make it again. There were 7 of us eating it last night (I doubled the recipe). You got a strong 6/7. Why not 7/7? My sweet mother in law, who seems to have an aversion to anything vegetable color (not that bad, but close) did have a tough time with the bright green color (she wouldn’t say anything, she’s too kind, but I could tell) but once she tasted it, she kept commenting on how tasty the soup was. Good job!
Thank you for consistently bringing me and my family tasty and lovely recipes. I am a huge fan and share your website with friends regularly.
Love this review, Lori! Thank you! (Also that leek potato chicken basil sausage soup sounds amazing!)
I’m happy to share the recipe with you if you’re interested. Let me know how to contact you.
By the way, today each of my children were looking for leftover soup for lunch and were disappointed that somebody (me!) ate the one serving that was left. I don’t usually do that…I leave leftovers for my kids, but … I just couldn’t help myself. 🙂 Guess we need to triple it next time!! So yummy.
Haha. I’ve also been given the side eye for eating all the leftovers, too. If you have time and want to send the recipe to contact@melskitchencafe.com that would be awesome. Thank you!
At what point can you stop and finish up the next day? For a vegetarian dinner party. Thank you.
You could make it start to finish and then just reheat the next day.
I’ve made this often and I love it. Even my husband who turns his nose up if I put veggies on his plate likes this soup. I do add chicken and then I like to add some Parmesan cheese on top. Thanks as always for the wonderful recipes.
I just made this soup! I followed it to a tee, and it came out perfectly. The soup was not as spinachy-tasting as I had imagined, but it is amazing how tasty it is with the blended flavors of garlic-leek-zucchini-spinach! For the topping, I drizzled a little walnut oil over the soup. This is perfect for any souping cleanse.