Chilled Zucchini Soup w/ Indian 'Vaghaar' Garnish (Vegan)

If you’re having a heat wave, this chilled zucchini soup will refresh your body and soul. Look for small zucchini (to avoid bitter seeds), a small fennel bulb (sweeter), and a large poblano chili (because it’s so good!). Chill the finished soup for a couple of hours and you’ll be all set for a restaurant-quality starter or light main course.

Vaghaar, or tempered garnish, is a traditional Indian topping for curries, dals, raitas, chutneys, etc. It is made by quickly extracting the flavors of spices in warm oil and then adding it to a dish just before serving.

Note: The zucchini soup can be served cold or hot.

My Paleo Marin Rating: 5 Persimmons*

Ingredients for the Zucchini Soup + Garnish

Ingredients for the Soup:

Zucchini Soup Ingredients

1 poblano chili, about 4 oz. 

2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil, such as safflower

1/2 cup chopped spring or yellow onion

1/2 cup chopped fennel bulb

2 - 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

5 cups zucchini (about 6 small zucchini), chopped horizontally into 1/2” pieces

3 cups vegetable broth, preferably homemade (see ‘Basic Vegetable Broth Recipe' here)

1 - 13.5 oz. can organic coconut milk

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Ingredients for the Garnish (for 4 Bowls of Soup):

1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil, such as safflower

1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

4 whole star anise

Small bunch of fresh mint leaves and/or (if you can find them) curry leaves

4 red Thai chilis

Directions for Making the Zucchini Soup + Garnish:

To Make the Soup:

1. The first step is to char broil the poblano chili:

Turn the poblano pepper
frequently with tongs

Option 1: Broiler - Put the poblano chili on a baking sheet lined with foil and place it about 6” from the broiler flame. Turn frequently with tongs. Char until the skin is burned, about 10 minutes. 

Option 2: Stovetop on a Gas Flame: Toast the poblano chili on a high-heat gas burner. Use tongs to turn it frequently. 

Transfer the charred chili to a container and cover with plastic wrap to steam cook the chili. When cool, put it on a cutting board, peel off the burned skin and discard with the seeds. Chop and set aside.

2. In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the oil to medium. Add the onion, fennel and garlic. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Stir occassionally. Add the zucchini and poblano chili and cook until the zucchini are starting to sweat, about 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and gently cook until the zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk, lemon juice, and salt. Stir, then taste for seasonings. Using an immersion blender, process the soup until it’s smooth, about 3 - 5 minutes. 

3. Pour the soup into a covered container and chill for 2 hours. When ready to serve, check again for seasonings and pour into bowls. 

To Make the 'Vaghaar' Garnish:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan to medium high heat, being careful not to burn the oil. Add the mustard seeds and cook, stirring constantly until they start to pop, 15 - 20 seconds. Add the star anise, Thai chilis and herbs and toss in the oil until the herbs start to wilt, about 30 seconds.

2. Distribute the garnish among the bowls and serve.

#paleo #soup #vegan #zucchini #coconutmilk #poblano #chili #fennel #garlic #healthyeats #recipes #instarrecipes #indian #vaghaar #channk #summersoup #vegetablebroth #vegansoup #veganfood #plantbased #veganrecipes

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine article here.

For another Chilled Soup Recipe, see post below:

Chilled Carrot Gazpacho
w/ Coconut Cream & Lemongrass

*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.