This easy courgette soup is silky smooth, creamy and surprisingly light. At just 91 calories a bowl, it makes a simple lunch or starter and is one of my favourite ways to use up a glut of courgettes.
It takes just 25 minutes from start to finish and is made with a handful of everyday ingredients. A little reduced-fat crème fraîche gives it that creamy finish without making the soup heavy, but it can easily be left out or swapped for a dairy-free alternative.
Courgettes always seem to arrive all at once. Whether you grow your own, have been handed a bag by someone with an allotment, or just found a bargain at the supermarket or greengrocer, this is the kind of recipe that makes a serious dent in them without creating lots of extra work.
I make this when I want something light for lunch but still want it to feel like a comforting soup. It also freezes well, so making a bigger batch is worth it for easy lunches later on.
Recipe update: This recipe was originally published on 19 January 2016 and was fully retested in October 2026 to check the cooking time and ingredient quantities. The original recipe still worked well, but I've expanded the instructions, tips and FAQs.
For more ways to use courgettes, take a look at my creamy courgette risotto, easy courgette fritters out my moist courgette and lime cake.
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Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Courgette Soup
- Recipe Overview
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Make Courgette Soup
- How to Make Courgette Soup Without a Lot of Cream
- A Light, Low-Calorie Courgette Soup
- Using up a Glut of Courgettes
- Courgette Soup Variations
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage
- Dannii's Top Tips
- Troubleshooting Guide
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Soup Recipes
- Recipe
- Feedback
Why You'll Love This Courgette Soup
- Quick and easy - This simple courgette soup recipe is ready in just 25 minutes, with very little preparation.
- Only 91 calories a bowl - It is a light, low-calorie soup that still has a lovely creamy texture.
- Perfect for a courgette glut - The recipe uses 700g of courgettes, so it is an easy way to use up home-grown courgettes when they all seem to be ready at once.
- Budget friendly - Courgettes are particularly good value when they are in season and the rest of the ingredients are simple fridge and cupboard staples.
- Family friendly - The flavour is mild and creamy. In our house, crunchy croutons or garlic bread alongside it always help with a bowl of green soup.
- Easy to adapt - Change the herbs, make it vegan or dairy free, roast the courgettes for more flavour, or add peas for an even brighter green soup.
Recipe Overview
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 25 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Calories: 91 kcal per serving
- Main ingredient: 700g courgettes
- Equipment: Large saucepan and stick blender
- Best for: Light lunches, starters, batch cooking and using up a glut of courgettes
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Courgettes (zucchini) - Courgettes are the star of this soup and give it a lovely silky texture when blended. There is no need to peel normal courgettes. The skin is tender, edible and helps give the soup its green colour. Just trim the ends and dice them.
If you have a very large courgette from the garden, cut it open first. If the centre has become very seedy or spongy, scoop that part out before chopping. Very large courgettes can also contain more water, so you can hold back a little of the stock and add it after blending if needed. - Onion and garlic - Onion and garlic form the savoury base of this easy courgette soup. Gently cooking them with the courgette before adding the stock gives the soup more flavour without needing lots of extra ingredients.
You can swap the onion for shallots if you prefer a slightly sweeter flavour. - Creme fraiche - Reduced-fat crème fraîche makes this a creamy courgette soup while keeping it light. You can swap it for plain yogurt, Greek yogurt, single cream or cream cheese. For a vegan courgette soup, use a dairy-free crème fraîche or simply leave it out - blended courgettes naturally have a surprisingly creamy texture.
- Vegetable stock - Use a good-quality vegetable stock. If you are making the soup for younger children, choose a lower-salt stock. Chicken stock can be used if you do not need the soup to be vegetarian.
Because courgettes contain plenty of water themselves, it is easier to add more stock after blending than to rescue an overly thin soup. - Chives - I love chives here because their mild onion flavour works really well with courgettes without overpowering them. Basil, mint, parsley and thyme all work too, so this is a good recipe for using whatever fresh herbs you already have.
How to Make Courgette Soup
- Heat the oil: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat.
- Soften the vegetables: Add the diced onion, crushed garlic and chopped courgettes and cook gently for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
You aren't trying to brown them heavily here. Softening the vegetables first gives the finished soup a better flavour than simply boiling everything in the stock.
- Add the stock: Pour in the vegetable stock, add the chopped chives and season lightly with salt and black pepper.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for around 15 minutes, until the courgettes are completely tender.
- Blend until silky smooth: Remove the pan from the heat and blend until smooth with a stick blender. For the silkiest courgette soup, give it longer than a quick blitz. Keep blending until the skins have completely disappeared into the soup.
If using a jug blender, allow the soup to cool first and follow the manufacturer's guidance for blending hot liquids.
- Make it creamy: Stir in the reduced-fat crème fraîche.
- Check the soup: Taste and adjust the seasoning, then add a little more stock if you would like a thinner soup.
- Serve: Serve with extra chives and a small spoonful of crème fraîche if you like.
How to Make Courgette Soup Without a Lot of Cream
Courgettes become naturally smooth and creamy when they are properly cooked and thoroughly blended, so this soup doesn't need lots of cream, cheese or potato to give it a good texture.
I add a small amount of reduced-fat crème fraîche at the end. It gives the soup a richer finish while keeping each serving at around 91 calories.
For an even lighter courgette soup, leave the crème fraîche out completely. For something richer, use full-fat crème fraîche, cream cheese or a little grated Parmesan.
The biggest trick is simply not adding too much stock at the beginning. You can always loosen a thick soup after blending.
A Light, Low-Calorie Courgette Soup
At just 91 calories per bowl, this is a great option when you want a lighter lunch or starter. Courgettes become naturally silky when blended, so you don't need lots of cream, cheese or potato to create a creamy texture.
If you want to turn it into a more substantial meal, serve it with crusty bread, a toasted sandwich or one of the serving suggestions below.
Using up a Glut of Courgettes
If you grow courgettes, you will know that you can go from having none to wondering what on earth you are going to do with all of them.
Soup is particularly useful because it uses several courgettes in one go and freezes well.
You can double the recipe if your pan is large enough, then freeze individual portions for quick lunches. That's much more useful to me than discovering another giant courgette at the back of the fridge just as it is starting to look sorry for itself.
Other easy ways to use up courgettes include my courgette and lemon pizza, courgette frittata or courgette pizza bites.
Courgette Soup Variations
The basic recipe is deliberately simple, which makes it easy to change the flavour.
For courgette and mint soup, replace the chives with fresh mint. Add most of it during cooking and keep a little for serving.
For courgette and basil soup, use fresh basil instead of the chives and add the leaves towards the end for a fresher flavour.
For a brighter green courgette and pea soup, add a handful of frozen peas during the final few minutes of simmering before blending.
For more depth of flavour, roast the courgettes first until lightly golden and then add them to the soup.
For a little heat, add chilli flakes, fresh chilli or a pinch of cayenne.
You can also crumble feta or grate Parmesan over individual bowls rather than adding cheese to the whole pan.
Serving Suggestions
For a light lunch, this soup is lovely on its own with a few crunchy croutons. To make homemade croutons, cut bread into cubes, toss with a little olive oil, garlic granules and dried herbs, then bake until crisp. Try my air fryer croutons.
For a more substantial meal, serve the soup with warm crusty bread, garlic bread or my garlic and rosemary focaccia.
A toasted cheese sandwich is also brilliant for dipping and makes the soup much more filling.
Storage
Store: If you have leftovers of this soup, it will store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freeze: You can freeze this soup in freezer bags or airtight containers for up to 3 months. It may separate or look slightly thinner once defrosted, but reheating it gently and giving it a good stir or quick blend should bring it back together.
For the very best texture, you can freeze the soup before adding the crème fraîche and stir it in after reheating. However, leftovers with the crème fraîche already mixed in can still be frozen.
Reheat: You can either reheat it in the microwave or heat it through on the hob.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Hold back some stock if your courgettes are particularly large or watery. You can add more after blending, but it is much harder to take it away.
- Don't peel ordinary courgettes. The tender green skin blends into the soup and gives it a better colour.
- Blend for longer than you think. This makes a noticeable difference to the silky texture.
- Season after blending as well as before. Stock varies enormously in saltiness, so taste the finished soup before adding more salt.
- Use fresh herbs if possible. Chives, basil, mint, parsley and thyme all complement courgette.
- For a gluten-free soup, check the stock and any toppings. If the soup is thinner than you would like, simmer it uncovered for a few minutes rather than thickening it with ordinary flour. Alternatively, use a labelled gluten-free cornflour slurry.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Soup is too thin | Courgettes can vary in water content, especially large home-grown ones, or too much stock was added. | Simmer the soup uncovered for 5-10 minutes to reduce it, then blend again. Next time, hold back a little of the stock and add it after blending if needed. |
| Soup is too thick | The soup has reduced too much or your courgettes contained less water. | Stir in a little hot vegetable stock or water at a time until you reach the consistency you like. |
| Soup tastes bland | Courgettes have a mild flavour, so the soup may simply need more seasoning. | Taste after blending and gradually add a little more salt and black pepper. Extra fresh chives can also help. A good-quality vegetable stock makes a big difference. |
| Soup isn't completely smooth | The courgettes may not be soft enough or the soup hasn't been blended for long enough. | Simmer until the courgettes are completely tender, then blend for longer. A jug blender can give an even smoother finish if preferred. |
| Soup has separated after freezing or reheating | The crème fraîche can sometimes separate when frozen or heated too quickly. | Reheat gently and whisk or briefly blend the soup to bring it back together. For the best results next time, freeze the soup before adding the crème fraîche. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Courgette and zucchini are different regional names for the same vegetable.
In the UK we generally call it a courgette, while zucchini is the usual name in the US and several other countries. So if you are looking for an easy zucchini soup, you can make this exact recipe.
Very large courgettes that have been left to mature are more likely to be described as marrows in the UK.
No. There is normally no need to peel courgettes before making soup. Wash them, trim the ends and chop them.
If you are using a very large home-grown courgette with unusually tough skin, you can peel some or all of it if necessary.
Yes. Courgette soup is a great way to use larger home-grown courgettes. Cut the courgette open first and scoop out any very large or spongy seeds. Bigger courgettes can contain more water, so hold back some of the stock until after blending.
The best way is to avoid making it too thin in the first place. Start with slightly less stock and add more after blending if needed.
If it is already too thin, simmer the soup uncovered to allow some liquid to evaporate.
For a gluten-free thickener, you can also use a small cornflour slurry, checking the packet is suitable if you need the recipe to be strictly gluten free.
Yes. The crème fraîche can simply be omitted. Courgettes have a naturally silky texture once blended, so you can still make a creamy-tasting courgette soup without cream.
This is also the easiest way to turn the recipe into a vegan courgette soup, provided your stock is vegan too.
Chives, basil, mint, parsley and thyme all work well with courgettes. I use chives in this recipe because their mild onion flavour doesn't overpower the soup. Mint gives it a fresher flavour, while basil works particularly well if you want an Italian-style courgette soup.
Yes. Cool it completely before freezing it in airtight containers or freezer bags for up to 3 months.
Freezing individual portions is particularly handy for quick lunches.
More Soup Recipes
If you've tried this Courgette Soup recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy and use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Easy Creamy Courgette Soup
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of Vegetable oil
- 1 Onion - small; diced
- 2 Garlic cloves - crushed
- 700 g of Courgettes (zucchini) - diced
- 750 ml (3 cups) of Vegetable stock (low salt)
- 5 g of Fresh chives - finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon of Fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of Ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons of Reduced fat crème fraîche
Instructions
- Heat the oil: Heat 1 teaspoon of Vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat.
- Soften the vegetables: Add 1 Onion (diced), 2 Garlic cloves (crushed) and 700 g of Courgettes (zucchini) (chopped) and cook gently for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the stock: Pour in 750 ml of Vegetable stock (low salt), add the 5 g of Fresh chives (chopped) and season lightly with ½ teaspoon of Fine sea salt and 1 teaspoon of Ground black pepper.Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for around 15 minutes, until the courgettes are completely tender.
- Blend until silky smooth: Remove the pan from the heat and blend until smooth with a stick blender.For the silkiest courgette soup, give it longer than a quick blitz. Keep blending until the skins have completely disappeared into the soup.
- Make it creamy: Stir in 4 tablespoons of Reduced fat crème fraîche.
- Check the soup: Taste and adjust the seasoning, then add a little more stock if you would like a thinner soup.
- Serve: Serve with extra chives and a small spoonful of crème fraîche if you like.
Recipe Notes
- There is no need to peel normal courgettes before making the soup.
- If using very large or watery home-grown courgettes, hold back a little of the stock and add it after blending if needed.
- For a vegan courgette soup, leave out the crème fraîche or use a dairy-free alternative.
- Chives can be replaced with fresh basil, mint, parsley or thyme.
- For a brighter green soup, add a handful of frozen peas for the final few minutes of cooking.
- For more flavour, roast the courgettes before adding them to the soup.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. For the best texture, freeze before adding the crème fraîche and stir it in after reheating.
- If using a jug blender, allow the soup to cool and follow the manufacturer's instructions for blending hot liquids.
Nutritional Information
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
Beverley says
Tried this today as my neighbour who has an allotment gifted me a rather large courgette, I must admit it was delicious and I will certainly make this again, thank you for sharing.
Cari says
Made this with a monster courgette tonight, partially peeled and roasted (which changed the final colour)... But it was absolutely delicious!! Will try with younger courgettes sometime in the future.
Thanks so much for sharing it. Will save me mega chutney-making sessions in the coming weeks ;)
Dannii says
So glad you enjoyed it. Great tip about roasting them first!
Gemma says
We had this for lunch today and it was lovely and creamy, with lots of flavour. I thought it might have been too watery, but it wasn’t. We will definitely be making it again.
Kelly Anthony says
I've never thought to make zucchini soup, but it is seriously one of my favorite vegetables! This is so perfect for the transition from summer to fall!
Jillian says
I love creamy soup. I love being able to freeze soup. I love this post!
Eden | Sweet Tea and Thyme says
Yum! A perfect way to use up the last of that great summer zucchini.
rebecca says
I've got a lot of zucchini, this is the perfect use of it!
Lisa Bynum says
Ahhh, this looks so creamy. I can almost taste it!
Traci says
I really need to try this sometime! We always have lots of zucchini during most of summer. Love the idea of doing something different. Just pinned!
Meredith says
I need to make this delicious looking soup! I have tons of late summer squash and it is suddenly soup weather. Thank you!
Jaclyn Anne says
I have never made my own zucchini soup before, but this creamy zucchini soup looks so amazing I am going to have to try to make it for myself. I love that it is low in calories as well!
Kelly Anthony says
What a great way to use up all the zucchini that is growing. I also like the tip to freeze the soup that way we can have this soup all winter long.