Bacon, Zucchini, Tomato Soup

Hi guys! First, I wanted to let you know that CSN Stores, where you can find everything from a platform bed to wall art, has offered to let me review a product. I'm placing my order soon, and I'm looking forward to telling you about what I choose.

Now, onto the soup! It is a huge goal of mine to do a lot of soup making and bread baking this fall. I can proudly announce I now have one soup under my belt.

While flipping through The New Book of Soups, I came across a simple zucchini soup recipe that I had somehow missed during my other flip-throughs. I like when that happens. I often turn to my cookbooks looking for something specific, but it's when I have no particular dish in mind that I stumble upon some of the best stuff.

This soup combines lingering summer produce with smoky bacon.

The bacon is sauteed first, and while I love the flavor it imparts, next time I make this soup, I'll probably scoop it out of the pan and save it to toss on top. I'd just flavor the soup with the fat instead and leave myself crispy bacon to toss on top rather than have soft bits of bacon in the broth. Besides that, I wouldn't change a thing!

I made the soup one afternoon and served it with cheddar rusks -- slices of baguette, toasted, topped with cheddar, and popped under the broiler.

The soup lasted me all week for lunch at work, along with a Bagel Thin or a piece of toast in place of the cheddar rusks. (I could only dream of having a broiler at work. We don't even have a toaster oven.)  Some grated Parmesan sprinkled on top almost makes up for the lack of broiled cheddar.

Bacon, Zucchini, Tomato Soup (adapted from The New Book of Soups)
(Printable version)

Ingredients

2 bacon strips, minced
1 1/4 cups diced onions
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups diced zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (recipe recommends plum but I used Campari tomatoes)
1/4 cup tomato puree
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (recipe recommends cider but I prefer sherry)
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil (plus more for garnish if desired)
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Saute the bacon in a soup pot over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the onions and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions start to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the zucchini, cover, and cook until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato puree, and sherry vinegar. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, until veggies are tender and flavor has developed.

Add the basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with cheddar rusks or your favorite bread or toast. Even crackers would be nice.

What's your favorite kind of soup? I love hearty soups, chock-full of veggies, like minestrone.

Oh, and that adorable Le Creuset mini cocotte is part of a set of four, comes with a mini cocotte cookbook, and was a birthday present from Jeff.

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You might also like this lentil soup.