Suburban Lesbian Makes Soup

Don't you just hate it when you visit the grocery store for a very specific, very common item and that very specific, very common item is out of stock? Oh yeah, life can be soooooo hard.

I came across a recipe the other day in a magazine I don't normally read but that somehow ended up in my car. Sitting at a traffic light, I flipped through the pages. (As an aside, I'm seriously looking at how multi-tasking is having a negative effect on my life. How's about doing one thing at a time? I'm working on that concept.)

Anyway, the recipe jumped out at me and screamed, "SUZANNE! You must make this soup!" And what better time to experiment in the kitchen than a rainy weekend day with no commitments? Friday I visited the grocery store to procure the ingredients. Except there was not even the shadow of a zucchini to be found at my usual store. Who ever heard of a produce department with no zucchini? Oh the horror.

But this is suburban America. There are at least five other grocery stores within a few mile radius. My quest for zucchini was not thwarted.

The recipe calls for 3 pounds of zucchini and I was making a batch and a half, enough to share. I was surprised at how many individual squash makes up 4.5 pounds. An armload. And I have long arms. I was not daunted by the prospect of, as the recipe dictates, "thinly slicing" an armload of zucchini. My super duper Pampered Chef slicing thing would even make it fun.

The efficient tool diced a large onion then thinly sliced all 4.5 pounds of squash in a jiffy. I was a bit dismayed by the resultant mountain of zucchini slices threatening to overflow the countertop onto the floor. I began to worry it would not all fit in one pot. It didn't. Soon there were two large pots of onion and zucchini sauteing in butter on the stovetop. It was officially declared bisque after the addition of liquid ingredients and assorted spices followed by a wild ride in the blender. It's a fabulous shade of green.

Good thing it's tasty because I made enough to fill a small swimming pool. Soup anyone?

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Edited to share the recipe:

Quick Zucchini Bisque

3 lbs. zucchini, thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
4 Tblsp butter
3/4 - 1 tsp curry powder (to taste)
2 (10-3/4 oz) cans chicken broth
1-1/2 cups milk
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onion and zucchini. Simmer until almost tender. Add milk, broth and seasonings. Bring to a boil, and simmer until cooked. Allow to cool slightly before putting in blender. Blend until smooth.

This soup can be served hot or cold, it is delicious either way. If serving cold, allow to chill at least 4 hours in the refrigerator.

(credit to Capt. Jan Robinson in "All At Sea" magazine, November 2005, page 72)

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