Cream of Zucchini Soup with Ham and Potatoes

Although you use one pan for preparing this soup, the secret to depth of flavor is the steps you take to build richness in every layer. Follow carefully for maximum yumminess!

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

4 ½ C zucchini washed and cut into 1/2” chunks
1/3 C onions, diced small
1 small new potato and 1 small Yukon potato peeled and cut into 1/4” chunks
¾ C honey ham cut into ¼” chunks
2 C good chicken stock
1 C heavy cream
¼ t coriander powder
1/8 t curry powder
¼ t fresh grated nutmeg
4 T salted butter, divided
4-6 T olive oil
1 t fresh grated ginger
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
Good Fiori blend flavored salt (no substitutions)
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
A little Italian flat leaf parsley and tomatoes to garnish
1 t Fiori blend sea salt

Direction:

• Prep all ingredients, putting the onion, grated ginger, and potatoes in one dish, the ham in another, and the zucchini in a large measuring cup. Have your stock all ready. I suggest using either your own, or a concentrate dissolved in hot water. I don’t care for the canned variety.

The potatoes and onion:

• Heat 2 T mild olive oil in large Dutch oven. Add ginger, potatoes and onion and saute, on medium high, until softened, about 4 minutes. I often put in about ¼ C of stock as they begin to stick, just to deglaze and begin to build flavor. Add a bit of salt and pepper while cooking. Remove and set aside.

The ham:

• Add 2 T butter to the same pan, without cleaning anything off the bottom. Add the ham and cook just until you see browned edged. You don’t want the ham to turn tough. Remove and set aside in the same bowl as the potatoes and onions. You can add them all later.

The zucchini:

• Melt 2 T butter and another T of oil to the hot pan and then add the zucchini, stirring and cooking for about 2 minutes and scraping the bottom as you go. Add the fiori blend salt, coriander, curry
  powder, nutmeg and lemon juice and stir. Then add the rest of the stock and keep cooking until softened, about another 2-3 minutes at the most. Add a little more salt and pepper.

Blending:

• Take the pan off the heat and using a hand-held immersion blender, thoroughly blend the stock and cooked zucchini until everything is pureed. I find it splashes a little so just be careful and don’t wear anything you don’t want dotted with a bit of soup. When pureed, add the heavy cream and stir to incorporate. Then add the ham, potatoes and onion mixture and stir. Heat just until hot. DO NOT BOIL!

Serve:

• Taste soup, add salt if needed although with the ham you’ll find it is smokey, buttery and not needing salt. But if you have a light hand when seasoning veggies at the onset, you may need more at the end. Ladle into bowls and serve with a few pieces of chopped parsley. Can also top with small slices of San Marzano tomato. Serve with crusty bread and a light, grassy Sauvignon Blanc wine.