Pea, Leek, and Zucchini Soup The Silky, Protein Packed Green Soup
Softened leek, diced zucchini, and garlic simmered in vegetable broth until tender, finished with frozen peas and baby spinach, then blended until thick and silky smooth with cottage cheese for a creamy, vibrantly green, protein-rich soup topped with reserved whole vegetables, dollops of cottage cheese, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon zest, and scattered mint and basil leaves for a beautiful, complete bowl that takes less than 30 minutes from start to table.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- For the Soup:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large leek halved lengthways and finely sliced — white and pale green parts only available in produce section of most major supermarkets — look for firm tightly wrapped leeks without yellowing
- 3 medium zucchini diced into approximately half-inch pieces
- 3 –4 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth approximately 1 liter
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups frozen peas no need to thaw before adding
- 2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- One 9 oz container full-fat cottage cheese approximately 250 grams — Good Culture, Daisy, or Breakstone's full-fat recommended — full-fat blends more smoothly than low-fat
- For Serving and Topping:
- Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- 1 fresh lemon for zesting directly over finished bowls
- A handful each of fresh small mint leaves and fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Place a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons olive oil — allow to heat until shimmering.
- Add finely sliced leek and diced zucchini along with a generous pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Cook for 3–4 minutes stirring frequently until vegetables begin to soften and wilt — leek should become translucent and zucchini should start to lose its raw firmness — do not rush this step as properly softened vegetables produce a silkier blended texture.
- Add roughly chopped garlic to the softened vegetables and cook for exactly 1 minute stirring constantly — just long enough to soften garlic without browning or turning bitter.
- Pour 4 cups vegetable broth and 1 cup water into the pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 6–8 minutes until zucchini is completely tender and easily pierced with a fork with no resistance.
- Add frozen peas directly to the simmering pot — no thawing needed.
- Add both large handfuls of baby spinach and stir through to wilt — approximately 1–2 minutes until spinach is fully wilted and peas are heated through.
- Before blending use a slotted spoon to remove approximately 1 cup of the whole cooked vegetables from the soup and transfer to a small bowl — these are reserved for topping the finished bowls.
- Add half of the cottage cheese to the soup remaining in the pot.
- Using an immersion blender blend directly in the pot until completely smooth and thick — OR transfer in batches to a countertop blender blending each batch with some of the cottage cheese.
- Blend very thoroughly until completely uniform and smooth with no visible cottage cheese curds remaining — the finished soup should be silky thick and vibrantly green.
- Taste blended soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Ladle hot soup into serving bowls.
- Spoon reserved whole vegetables into the center of each bowl.
- Add a few spoonfuls of remaining cottage cheese dotted around the top of each bowl.
- Drizzle extra virgin olive oil generously over each serving.
- Zest the fresh lemon directly over each bowl immediately before serving — do not add zest during cooking as heat destroys the fresh aromatic quality.
- Scatter fresh small mint leaves and basil leaves over the top immediately before serving — add at the very last moment as fresh herbs wilt quickly in hot soup.
- Serve immediately while hot.