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Easy Creamy Zucchini Soup with Crispy Bacon

creamy zucchini soup with crispy bacon - featured image
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This velvety smooth zucchini soup is made without heavy cream, topped with crispy bacon for a salty crunch. It’s a quick, comforting, and healthy weeknight dinner that comes together in under 35 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 medium zucchini (about 1.5 lbs / 680g), cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 slices thick-cut bacon (about 200g)
  • 4 cups (950ml) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 3 sprigs fresh)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Optional: ¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream or coconut milk
  • Optional: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

  1. Cook the bacon: Place bacon slices in a cold skillet. Turn heat to medium and cook for 6-8 minutes, flipping once, until deeply golden and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Once cool, crumble or chop into small pieces. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat.
  2. Prep the vegetables: Wash zucchini, trim ends, and cut into 1-inch chunks. Dice onion and mince garlic.
  3. Sauté the aromatics: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Cook the zucchini: Add zucchini chunks, thyme, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until zucchini softens and gets slightly golden on edges.
  5. Add the broth: Pour in broth. Scrape bottom of pot to release browned bits. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until zucchini is very tender.
  6. Blend until smooth: Remove pot from heat. Use an immersion blender to blend directly in the pot until completely smooth. If using a countertop blender, let soup cool for 5 minutes, then blend in batches, starting on low speed.
  7. Finish and adjust: Return blended soup to pot if needed. Stir in optional cream or coconut milk. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  8. Serve immediately: Ladle soup into bowls. Top with crispy bacon, fresh thyme leaves, black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.

Notes

Don’t skip the sauté step—it concentrates flavor and removes excess moisture from the zucchini. Season in layers for depth. Use reserved bacon fat to sauté onions for extra smokiness. For a vegan version, omit bacon and use smoked paprika and liquid smoke. Soup improves overnight; store bacon separately to keep it crispy.

Nutrition

Keywords: zucchini soup, creamy zucchini soup, bacon zucchini soup, easy soup recipe, healthy soup, low carb soup, gluten free soup

Find it online: https://hungermind.com/easy-creamy-zucchini-soup-with-crispy-bacon/