Name: Chilled Zucchini Soup with Shrimp
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 295 min
Ingredients: ½ cup light sour cream; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro; 1 small garlic clove, (minced); 1 pound shrimp (keep tails on), (peeled and cooked); 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest; 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 1 medium onion, (sliced (about 2 cups)); 2 medium garlic cloves, (minced); 6 medium (1¾ pounds) zucchini, (cut into ¼-inch slices); 4 cups reduced sodium, fat free chicken broth; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, (plus extra for garnish)

This Chilled Zucchini Soup with Shrimp is a nice appetizer or soup for a gourmet dinner party.

Bowl of Chilled Zucchini Soup with Shrimp

Chilled Zucchini Soup with Shrimp

If you have a bounty of zucchini this summer, you might like to try this very different kind of soup recipe. It’s chilled – served cold! And it’s garnished with the most delicious marinated shrimp.

I was part of a neighborhood gourmet dinner group for many years. This is one of the recipes we served at one of those gourmet dinners. You can serve this as a main dish if you’d like, but we chose to serve it as a starter in appetizer portions at our party.

🛒Ingredients needed:

light sour cream
fresh cilantro
garlic
shrimp
fresh lemon juice and zest
olive oil
cumin
onion
zucchini
chicken broth

Bowls of Chilled Zucchini Soup with shrimp

✏️How to make Chilled Zucchini Soup with Shrimp:

*The complete, printable recipe with all ingredients and instructions is at the end of this post.

PREPARE THE SHRIMP:

In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp and the marinade ingredients; cover and chill for at least 4 hours- or overnight (can be made 1 day ahead; keep chilled).

PREPARE THE SOUP:

Heat the oil in large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion; sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic; stir 1 minute. Add the zucchini; stir to coat. Stir in the broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes. Cool to lukewarm. Add the chopped cilantro. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth.
Transfer the soup to a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until cold, about 4 hours. (can be made 1 day ahead; keep chilled)
Divide the soup among bowls, 6 if you’re serving as an appetizer and 4 for a main dish. Top each with shrimp, dividing equally. Spoon dollop of cilantro cream over each, garnishing with cilantro sprigs. Serve immediately.

➡️Recipe Tips:

Leaving the tails on the shrimp makes it easy to position them on the edges of the bowls.
The soup is delicious all by itself, if you’re just looking for an easy chilled zucchini soup.
You can easily double this recipe if you’re having more guests or if you have an over abundance of zucchini!
If preparing this recipe as GLUTEN FREE, just be sure to use a brand of chicken broth that is designated as GF.

★How to Store:

It’s fine to store any leftovers of this soup in the refrigerator for a day or two, but it’s not one I’d freeze. That fresh flavor just won’t hold up to freezing.

Bowl of Chilled Zucchini Soup with Shrimp and lemon

✔️What to server with Chilled Zucchini Soup with Shrimp:

This soup is wonderful served as a starter to most any grilled summer meal.
I especially like it with grilled pork chops or flank steak.
Crisp summer wines like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc will really bring out the flavors of this summer soup.

❤️Why I love this recipe:

This isn’t a soup recipe that I make often, but it’s the perfect summer soup for a special occasion.
I had nothing but rave reviews about it at our gourmet dinner party.
Aren’t we all trying to find new and interesting things to do with zucchini in the summertime?