Creamy Cauliflower Zucchini Soup

This is a hearty soup with zucchini, cauliflower and potato to give it creaminess without adding any cream or dairy. I save a small piece of the zucchini to grate on top along with a drizzle of olive oil to serve. Perfect for a rainy day.

You will need:

• 1 leek - finely sliced
• 1 medium zucchini - chopped into pieces - keep a piece to grate at the end 
• 2 cups chopped cauliflower
• 3 garlic cloves - sliced in half
• 1 small onion - chopped 
• 1 small potato - peeled and chopped into chunks
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 litre chicken broth
• salt/pepper to taste

*keep 1/4 zucchini grated for topping

Step 1: chop leek, zucchini, cauliflower, garlic, onion and peel and chop potato.

Step 2: add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a pot and add all chopped vegetables, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently to avoid burning.  

Step 3: add 1 litre of chicken broth and Italian or Tuscan seasoning mix. 

Step 4: Bring to a boil then turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables are soft and cooked.

Step 5: carefully add contents to a blender. You may need to do this in batches but, my blender was fine pureeing it all at once. Remove the top plastic cap from the lid of the blender and place the lid with the hole back on the blender.  Place a thick kitchen towel over the hole in the lid and blend until smooth. Be very careful not to fill the blender too much because you don't want to have hot soup explode out of the blender. The open lid allows the steam to be released from the hot contents. Taste to see if you need more salt and pepper. If you feel the soup is too thick you can add some water or more broth to thin it out.

Serve with some fresh grated zucchini and a drizzle of excellent extra virgin olive oil. It is a thick creamy soup without the added calories of cream.