Creamy Courgette Soup with Fourme D'Ambert
Delicate Zucchini Recipe Punctuated by Blue Cheese
Sep 4, 2009
Zucchini, known as courgettes in many countries including France, have a mild flavor that adapts well to many recipes. This easy recipe delights diners with its delicate color and rich creamy texture.
Fourme d’Ambert and St. Agur are two of the milder blue cheeses. For more punch, select one of other great blue-veined cheeses from France or elsewhere.
Zucchini are easy to grow and consequently many a gardener is faced with a bumper crop. In any case, they are usually reasonably priced at the market.
Zucchini are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. They are a a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese and also a good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6 and Phosphorus.
Creamy Courgette Soup with Blue Cheese
Yield: 4-6 servings
You will need: a hand-held immersion blender, food processor or counter-top blender (see note below).
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 pounds courgettes (zucchini), trimmed and sliced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Fleur de sel (sea salt) and freshly ground black pepper
- 2½ cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
- 4 ounces Fuorme d’Ambert (or other blue cheese)
- 1¼ cups single cream
- Sprigs of fresh oregano plus more cheese crumbles to garnish (optional)
Method
- In a large saucepan over medium flame, heat oil and butter until foaming. Add the onion and cook gently, stirring until translucent but not brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sliced courgettes, dry oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium flame for 10 minutes, stirring frequently so that the zucchini is evenly cooked.
- Pour in most of the stock, reserving some to adjust the texture later. Raise the heat and bring the soup to a boil, the lower the flame to a simmer. Put the lid on the pan, but off center so the steam can escape. Let the soup gently simmer, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes.
- Stir in the blue cheese until it melts. With an immersion blender (or in batches, in a food processor or counter-top blender), process until smooth.
- Over low flame, stir two-thirds of cream into the soup and let the mixture warm. Do not boil. Check the consistency of the soup. Add more stock if it is too thick.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Always taste first. In this case many blue cheeses are quite salty, so no additional salt may be needed.
- To serve, pour into individual bowls. Add a swirl of the remaining cream to each. Garnish each with a few cheese crumbles and a sprig of oregano leaves, if using.
Variations:
This recipe makes a more rustic, country-style soup. For a more refined presentation, you may force the processed soup through a sieve before adding the cream.
Note on Immersion Blenders:
The author highly recommends an immersion blender to any cook who likes to make soup. They speed up the process and are much easier to clean than either food processors or traditional blenders.
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