Tomato and Courgette Soup

This tomato and courgette soup is the perfect way to make use of summer produce to make a delicious and nutritious soup.

Of course, these days no one wants to waste any food, so it's good to have a recipe that you can freeze too.

It's a really easy recipe, which makes the most of the natural flavours of the fruit, which I have enhanced with basil for a Mediterranean feel.

Ready in just 30 minutes for a light lunch or starter or freeze for another meal.

Just grab some crusty bread and a spoon tuck in.

Bon appétit!   

In France, everyone with a garden tends to have a little potager area to grow a few crops. I always enjoyed swapping produce with my neighbour Philip, however, he would always bring me these huge courgettes that filled me with horror as I never really knew what to do with them!

Then, as now, I really hate the thought of food waste, especially now that everything is so expensive. I always get to the end of summer with a glut of tomatoes and courgettes in the garden that I need to do something with. So here's a recipe that uses their Mediterranean flavours at their best.

This soup is naturally vegan and low in fat and you can even leave the oil out altogether if you prefer, to make a guilt free soup for the summer.

I have enhanced the flavours with basil and tomato purée and a touch of paprika, for a little warmth too.

The preparation is really simple with just a little chopping. There is really no need to skin the tomatoes in boiling water, as the skins are not noticeable in the finished soup either.

This soup is perfect as a snack, lunch or main meal and you can vary the texture and ingredients too.

Perfect with a big chunk of cheesy fougasse bread to mop up the lovely flavours!

Why you will love this tomato and courgette soup

• Simple to make - just chop, simmer and blitz!
• Naturally low in fat and vegan.
• Easy to vary the ingredients.
• Delicious hot or even cold for a summer soup.
• Perfect for making ahead and freezing too.

Jump to:

• Why you will love this tomato and courgette soup
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🍽 Equipment
• 🔪 Instructions
• ⏲️ Cooking Time
• 🥗 Serve with
• Substitutions
• 📖 Variations
• Storage
• Subscribe
• FAQs
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

🥘 Ingredients

• Tomatoes - ideally ripe tomatoes on the vine for the best flavour, but enything that you grow at home will always taste better than tomatoes from the supermarket in the UK.
• Courgettes - medium sized courgettes if possible as the larger ones tend to be more water and less taste.
• Oil - olive oil, vegetable or any plain cooking oil.
• Onions - regular cooking onion.
• Flour - to thicken the soup
• Stock - homemade vegetable stock or stock from a cube. Buy low salt if you can.
• Basil - fresh basil leaves for flavour. If I don't have basil in the garden I tend to buy a plant from the supermarket to keep on the windowsill. They last for weeks if you just pinch the top parts of the stem, and are much better value than buying a bag of basil leaves. They are also great with fish and pasta dishes.
• Tomato purée - from a jar or a tube for extra colour and richness.
• Seasoning - some stock cubes or bought stock can be very salty so only salt to taste. Freshly ground black pepper is my favourite for seasoning.
• Paprika - this is purely for a little spice but adds an extra depth to the soup. Leave it out if you prefer.
• Sugar - sugar helps to balance the natural acidity of tomatoes, especially if they are not a naturally sweet variety or they are underripe.

See recipe card for quantities.

🍽 Equipment

• 3 litre cooking pot or saucepan with lid
• Wooden spoon
• Sharp knife
• Chopping board
• Blender / stick blender - for a chunkier soup a potato masher will work too.

🔪 Instructions

Peel and dice the onion.

Cut the ends off the courgettes, slice in half lengthways and slice.

Chop the tomatoes roughly.

💭 Top Tip

• A serrated vegetable knife is the safest way to cut through tomato skin. There's no need to remove the core unless you want to.
• I find it's easier to slice the tomatoes into 4 then chop 2 slices at a time into 6, depending on the size of the tomatoes.

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and add the courgettes and onions.

Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften.

Add the flour and tomatoes and cook, stirring for a minute.

Add the stock, pepper, a tablespoon of chopped basil, paprika and tomato purée.

⏲️ Cooking Time

Bring the mixture to a simmer and place the lid on.

Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Now it's time to blend the soup.

Allow it to cool slightly before blending. If you don't have a blender, use a potato masher to roughly mash the soup down.

Either use a stick (immersion) blender, or transfer to a standard blender to get to your desired consistency.

💭 Top Tip

• If you are using a blender only fill it to the halfway point. When the blender is used with hot liquid the volume increases and could spill over the top causing burns and a nasty mess to clean up.
• For a totally smooth soup blend continuously, starting on a medium speed then increase when the mixture is mostly blended. If you are using the potato masher method then you can force the mixture through a sieve.
• For more control, use a stick blender or pulse in the blender to get a soup with some texture.

Return the mixture to the pan and heat through.

Check the seasoning and add the salt and extra pepper if required.

Serve the tomato and courgette soup with the remaining basil scattered over.

🥗 Serve with

The tomato and courgette soup is delicious on its own or try it with these ideas.

• crusty bread
• Baked Halloumi Fries
• garlic bread
• cheese bread like my Fougasse bread, which is perfect for tearing and dipping.
• Cake Salé - this is a French appetiser rather like bread, stuffed with cheese, bacon and onions.
• Kentish Huffkins - traditional British rolls made with plain flour.

Substitutions

• Tomatoes - use 2 tins of tomatoes rather than fresh tomatoes. Replace the courgettes with 5 tomatoes if you prefer.

📖 Variations

• Gluten Free - skip the flour or mix 2 teaspoons of cornflour with the same quantity of water and stir through when the soup is heated through before serving.
• Protein packed - to make this soup a meal scatter over some cheese or add a drained tin of chickpeas, white beans or butter beans.
• Chunky vegetables - rather than blend the soup leave the vegetable whole. Along with the courgettes try adding cubed aubergines (eggplant), chopped carrots, fennel or squash.
• Smooth and elegant - blend the soup until completely smooth and swirl some cream over the top before serving.
• Lighter - omit the oil and begin cooking the onions and courgettes in a few tablespoons of water.
• Meat feast - add some chopped cooked bacon or ham or leftover roast chicken to the soup.

Storage

• Refrigerator - cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• Freezer  - store in containers or soup bags for up to 6 months. The soup will normally be good to eat up to a year, but the consistency may not be perfect.
• To reheat - reheat gently in a saucepan over a low to medium heat. For individual portions place in a microwaveable bowl and heat on full poer for a minute, stir and repeat.

FAQs

Let me know what you think in the comments or you can post a picture and tag me on Twitter @chezlereve, Instagram @chezlerevefrancais, or Facebook @chezlerevefrancais

More French soup recipes to try

There are more soup recipes to choose from too.

• Roasted Tomato Garlic Soup
• French Onion Soup with a Gruyère Crouton
• Gluten Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Celery and Leek Soup
• Cream of Onion Soup
• Seafood Bisque

📋 Recipe

More starters and soup recipes

Food Safety

• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
• Wash hands after touching raw meat.
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
• Never leave cooking food unattended.
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
• Always have good ventilation when using gas.

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