Name: Zucchini soup with arugula
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1½ pounds (or 700 grams) zucchini (cut in ½ inch cubes); 1 large onion (chopped); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 4 cups (or 1 litre) vegetable broth (or 1 litre of water with 3 vegetable stock cubes); 3 cups (or 60 grams) arugula; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 teaspoons dried thyme (or a few sprigs of fresh thyme); 3 bayleaves; salt and pepper (to taste); croutons; fresh arugula lettuce (roughly chopped)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This arugula zucchini soup is healthy, light and easy to make. Adding peppery arugula leaves gives this zucchini soup a delicious burst of flavour. Serve with some homemade croutons to make it a light and comforting meal.

long shot with two bowls of courgette soup with rocket leaves and croutons

Zucchinis are low in calories, rich in various vitamins and minerals and high in fibre, making them a great choice for a healthy soup. Due to their subtle taste with a slight hint of sweetness, they are very versatile and pair easily with other ingredients. I usually add zucchini as a thickener to various vegetable soups but I also like to make zucchini or courgette soup, as they are also known, and use them as the star of the dish.

Adding a handful of peppery arugula or rocket leaves and a few cloves of garlic lifts up the flavour giving this soup a nice pungent taste.

zucchini soup with arugula or courgette soup with rocket

How to make zucchini soup

This zucchini or courgette soup is quite quick and easy to make with just 4 ingredients (excluding the aromatics). Here are some useful tips and tricks to make the best zucchini arugula soup, full of flavour:

Sauté or fry the vegetables in a little bit of oil for a couple of minutes before adding water. It gives them a nice caramelisation and releases more flavour than when just cooking, giving the soup more depth of flavour.
Use chicken or vegetable broth according to your personal choice, either homemade or store bought. Or add stock cubes of your choice to the water as an alternative to broth.
Make sure the vegetables are cooked soft before blending, but don’t overcook them as they will lose all flavour.
Once the water or broth is brought to a boil, reduce the heat and leave the soup to simmer, covered with a lid. The vegetables will steam in the broth so covering the pot with the lid will prevent the steam from escaping.
Add the rocket leaves or arugula right at the end of the cooking time. They only need a minute to soften, so DO NOT add these at the beginning as you will have nothing left of the arugula leaves.
Don’t forget to take the bay leaves out before adding the arugula as they’ll be harder to find in between the rocket leaves. You also need to make sure to take them all out before blending as they don’t get soft after cooking and can’t really be blended nor eaten. They are intended just for their flavour.
No need to peel the zucchini. The skin is full of fibre and perfectly edible.

Can you make this soup ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this zucchini soup ahead of time. It will develop even more flavour if it has been standing for 30 minutes or more. You can even make this zucchini recipe a day ahead of time. Just leave the soup to cool and store it in a sealed container in the fridge. This soup can be stored for about 2-3 days in the fridge and 2-3 months in the freezer.

close up of arugula zucchini soup with croutons

How to serve?

Serve this arugula zucchini soup with croutons and some extra chopped arugula leaves. Or add chives and parsley before serving.

For the croutons, dice some bread into 1 inch (2.5 cm) squares, add a good drizzle of olive oil in a large pan and fry each side for 2 minutes until golden brown and crispy. You can add some sliced garlic for extra flavour, but this is optional.

Looking for more soup recipes?

Print Recipe