Lost and Found and Really Tasty Zucchini and Spinach Soup

At the end of last summer, I grated and froze a ton of zucchini in 2 cup measurements. At least 15 bags, with the intention of using it throughout the winter to make bread, muffins, zucchini “pasta”, all kinds of good things. A good plan, but then my little bags of veggie goodness got lost when Craig moved them to the freezer in the pool house frig to make space when we got our pig. On Sunday, we found them. I am now a crazy woman with a mission to make all things zucchini. I decided to make soup as a first course instead of a salad on Tuesday evening. Since grated zucchini is rather colorless and not much to look at, I bumped up the color and visual appeal by throwing in spinach. The result was a vibrant soup in an eye-popping shade of green, very tasty, with a wonderful nutrition profile. Best of all, it comes together in about 20 minutes.

Zucchini and Spinach Soup

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small zucchini – I used about six cups

1 5 oz container spinach

1/4 t nutmeg, ground

A pinch of red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

2 t salt

1 t thyme

1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup skim milk

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

A little lemon juice

Sauté the chopped onions in a bit of olive oil until translucent. Add the zucchini and cook for a few minutes. Add the spinach and cover until wilted. Add the broth and purée in a blender or with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth.

Add the spices and bring to a boil. Slowly add the cheese, allowing it to melt as you go. Turn down the heat and add the milk. (You can use crème fraîche or sour cream instead of the milk and lemon juice, depending on what you happen to have in the fridge.) Taste for seasoning and add a squeeze of lemon juice to liven the flavor.