Zucchini Soup

With Serene Lakes deep in snow, and the evenings getting colder, doesn’t soup sound good after a long day of skiing.  Here’s a simple recipe from my Tuscan in-law that you can make in a crock pot, albeit a large one, while you’re out skiing.  This recipe contains no cream; however, the outcome is rich and thick and your guests will swear there’s cream in it.

3-lbs Zucchini cut-up into 3 inches pieces
1-can beef consommé or chicken stock (if you have real stock, even better)  
2-cans of water (use the can of consommé)  
1-large onion cup into large pieces  
1-tablespoon basil (dried), if using fresh basil, a nice large handful  
Handful of parsley (fresh or dried)  
4-strips of bacon  
Salt and pepper to taste  
Sherry  
Shaved or grated parmesan cheese.  

If you are a vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth for consommé, and substitute 4-tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil for bacon.  

In a large stock pot:   
Put all the above ingredients in the pot except for the sherry and parmesan cheese.  Boil for 20-minutes.  After twenty minutes, blend the soup with a hand-held blender directly in the pot until nice and creamy.  If you do not have a hand-held blender, with a large slotted spoon, spoon out the chunks with a little bit of the liquid into a blender and blend.  Once blended, return the mixture to the soup stock and mix well.

Just before serving the soup, to taste, pour some sherry into the soup (optional).  Place them in large bowl and top with shaved parmesan cheese.  Serve with nice crusty bread.

Other topping options:  (you can mix and match)  
Dollop of heavy cream  
Croutons  
Diced tomatoes  
Diced onions  
Diced ham

In a crock pot:  
Follow the same instructions above, except if you have a low setting on crock pot use that.