Silky Zucchini Soup and Silky Bathrobe

Have you ever spent days searching for something

 only to have it turn up in an unlikely place?

The other day, I was searching high 

and low for my silky bathrobe,

just the right weight for a warm, summer night.

 I'd worn it recently, 

but I couldn't find it anywhere.

 

It reminded me of when Mr. Goo Shoes and I

were on vacation years ago,

and I couldn't find my bathrobe 

for a couple of days.

 I was convinced that someone took it...

the "someone" could only be the hotel's maid...

but why, why would she want my bathrobe?
There was nothing special about it. 

Puzzling...
it just disappeared.

On the third day of the missing bathrobe,

I got into bed, and when I went to plump up

the pillow,

there was my bathrobe,

neatly folded underneath.

I hadn't noticed it the previous two nights, 

but it had been, literally, right under my nose.

Yes, I know you're here for the recipe...
not silly tales of robes gone missing...
and just perhaps you are wondering...
what the heck does this have to do with soup? 

Well...this Silky Zucchini Soup, 
just like my silky bathrobe,

is perfect for a warm, summer night. 

Unlike my bathrobe --

an imposter, pretending to be silk --

the soup is made from all-natural ingredients.

AND...they're both smooth as silk.
How 'bout that?

See, it's all connected! 

Yup, Ms. Toody's done gone lost it this time.
It must be the heat. 
I'll go put a cold compress on my head.

I spotted the recipe in a recent issue 

of Food and Wine magazine,

and I was excited to try it.
I've got a "thing" for cold soups.

But to be perfectly honest,
I wanted to wait until Junior Goo Shoes went to camp,

because, as good as it is,

he would take one look at cold, green soup

and run for the hills...
or more likely, the basement,
to his Xbox.

 You know I'd rather do anything but cook,
especially in summer,
so you can bet on this being very easy to make.

The beauty of this soup 

is that you can eat it chilled, hot, or in between.

 My preference was at room temp,

but Mr. Goo Shoes liked it better chilled.

And, oh, yes, it is silky and smooth!
You will swear that there is cream in it,
but, no!
It's healthy, healthy, down to the last drop.

A few notes about the recipe:

• I omitted the tablespoon of butter, and used 3 tablespoons of olive oil, instead.

• I used chicken stock instead of vegetable stock because I didn't read the recipe carefully before buying the ingredients. It was still delicious, but I would think it's even better with vegetable broth.

• It took longer than 10 minutes for my zucchini to soften.

• Although this is quick to make, give yourself enough time to have it cool down completely before serving, unless you intend to eat it hot.

Silky Zucchini Soup 

Recipe by Chef Grant Achatz, Food & Wine Magazine

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped 

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and pepper

1 1/2 pounds zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick.

2/3 cup vegetable stock or low-sodium broth.

1 1/2 cups water

Julienned raw zucchini, for garnish.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about 7-8 minutes.

Add the zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 10 minutes.

Add the stock and 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a simmer;

cook until the zucchini is very soft, about 10 minutes.

Working in two batches, puree the soup in a blender until it's silky-smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Serve it either hot, chilled, or room temperature, garnished with julienned zucchini.

Make Ahead: This soup can be refrigerated overnight. 

Makes 4 servings 

I'm giving you fair warning 
that this Silky Zucchini Soup is going to disappear quickly. 

Just don't look for it under your pillow. 

 ***********

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