In The Kitchen: Lemony Zucchini Soup with Crispy Shallots

Yes, yet another soup post...after this I promise this blog will be soup free, for a few weeks at least.

Soup is my ultimate lazy meal. When it's rainy and I don't feel like walking through the flooded Charleston streets to the market, I dig around in my fridge and see what I can add to the stock that is always crowding my freezer. In this case just a few veggies, herbs and some wine made a delicious meal on a cold, rainy day.

Lemony Zucchini Soup with Crispy Shallots

• 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 1 whole Sweet Onion, Diced
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 4 whole Zucchini, Peeled And Diced
• ½ cups White Wine
• 4 cups Chicken Or Vegetable Stock
• 1 whole Lemon Zested
• 1 teaspoon Fresh Dill
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 whole Large Shallots, Sliced Thin

Melt the butter in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened but not browned, 8–10 minutes. Add zucchini and cover the pot. Cook until soft, another 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Once the zucchini is soft, stir in the wine, stock, lemon zest and dill. Simmer uncovered for 40 minutes or until all the vegetables are very, very soft and the soup is fragrant and lemony.

While the soup is simmering, heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the shallots and cook until browned (but not dark brown, as they will become bitter). Remove shallots from the pan and place on a paper towel to cool. They will crisp as they cool.

When the soup has finished simmering, take the pot off the heat and allow it to cool slightly. With an immersion blender, or in batches in a food processor or blender, puree the soup until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the soup into bowls and top each serving with a tablespoon of the crispy shallots, and some lemon zest if desired.