Creamy Zucchini Soup with Walnuts and Dill
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This flavor-packed zucchini soup is creamy without the cream—and it’s ready in just 30 minutes.
If you’re swimming in zucchini and tired of the usual zucchini bread and zucchini muffins, this zucchini soup is such a delicious change of pace. It’s fresh and bright from dill, lemon, and good olive oil, with toasted walnuts that add richness and a creamy texture—no dairy required. The best part? It takes just 30 minutes, and it’s just as good cold as it is warm. Whether you’re using up garden zucchini or just craving some comfort, this zucchini soup recipe hits the spot.
“Made this initially out of curiosity but it has instantly become a favorite! Wow—so good!”
What You’ll Need To Make Creamy Zucchini Soup
- Olive oil, yellow onion & garlic cloves: The flavor base of the soup; a little olive oil also gets stirred in at the end to add body and bring everything together.
- Zucchini: This versatile veggie cooks down to form a bright base and gives the soup its fresh flavor and pretty green color. (No need to peel it.)
- Chicken broth: The base of the soup. If you’d like to make the soup vegan, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. The soup’s already dairy-free, so this one swap makes it plant-based.
- Dill & lemon juice: Fresh dill gives a fresh herbal note (either fresh or dried will work), and a squeeze of lemon at the end brightens the whole bowl.
- Walnuts: Toasted to bring out their flavor and pureed into the soup, walnuts thicken things up and give the soup a creamy, texture without the need for dairy.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Sauté the aromatics. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onions and garlic, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent.
Step 2. Simmer the zucchini. Add the sliced zucchini, chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender.
Step 3. Toast the walnuts. While the soup simmers, toast the walnuts in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until fragrant. (Keep a close eye on them as nuts can burn quickly.)
Step 4. Purée the soup. Add the toasted walnuts and chopped dill to the pot. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until completely smooth, or work in batches using a regular blender.
Pro Tip: If you’re using a blender, be sure to crack the lid slightly or remove the center knob and cover with a kitchen towel to allow steam to escape—hot soup expands fast and can be messy (and dangerous) in a sealed blender.
Step 5. Add lemon and oil. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining olive oil, then taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with more olive oil, and sprinkle with dill. Feel free to top it off with croutons as well. The soup will keep well for several days in the refrigerator; freeze for longer storage.
Hot or Chilled, These Summer Soups Deliver
Creamy Zucchini Soup with Walnuts and Dill
A simple zucchini soup with fresh herbs and lemon that feels both comforting and light.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, cut into quarters
- 4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 4 cups chicken broth (such as Swanson Organic)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, or 1 tablespoon dried, plus more for serving
- ½ cup walnuts, toasted
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-low heat in a large pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent. Do not brown.
- Add the zucchini, chicken broth, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender.
- Meanwhile, place the walnuts on the prepared baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. (Keep a close eye on them as nuts can burn quickly.)
- Add the dill and walnuts to the soup. Using a stick blender, purée the soup until smooth. (Alternatively, purée the soup in batches in a blender. Be careful not to fill the jar more than halfway, and leave the hole in the lid open and loosely cover with a dish towel to allow the heat to escape.)
- Add the lemon juice and the remaining tablespoon of oil to the soup, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (I usually add about ¼ teaspoon more salt). Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with more olive oil, sprinkle with dill, and serve.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours, until completely thawed. Serve cold or reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 166
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Sugar: 7g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Sodium: 629mg
- Cholesterol: 5mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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The best cold soup ever! My husband made it and it was delicious
Made this soup and loved it – thank you so much for the recipe! Can the asparagus soup or the green pea soup recipes here be adapted to use toasted nuts instead of cheese? My mother in law is allergic to cow’s milk and really liked this soup. I wanted to make some other varieties for her using nuts. Thanks again.
So glad you enjoyed the soup, Nora! Yes, I think the asparagus and pea soup recipes could be adapted to use toasted nuts in place of the cheese. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try them that way!
Jenn,
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
It was amazing. You have enriched my life.
I’ve made this soup several times, and it’s always a hit, served both hot AND cold.
The only thing that I did differently, was to grind the toasted walnuts in my mini blender, before adding it to the soup. That way, I could use my stick blender in the saucepan to purify the soup.
I’ve made cream of zucchini soup before but never used nuts. This recipe intrigued me and i am glad i gave it a try. It was really good. I also added parsley. Will definately make it again.
It is just amazing. The prep time is misleading .. it should account for the time spent prepping the veggies. But who cares when it’s this good? I could taste a little lemon .. walnut.. the flavors were somehow separate enough that they all came out in each spoonful. To heck with zucchini bread. This is what you should do with all that zucchini instead .
Hi I want to make this for xmas, however my sisters kids are allergic to tree nuts. Any idea of what I can use as a substitute, or should I omit the walnuts? I’m nervous it will change the consistency.
Hi Devi, you can thicken the soup with cream instead of walnuts – Hope you enjoy!
I’ve loved every other recipe of yours I’ve tried, but this wasn’t my favorite. It just doesn’t have much flavor to me, and I used more salt and pepper than the recipe called for. It may have been my fault, I used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. I’m also not sure what a “medium” zucchini would be (the ones in my store were all the same size), so perhaps mine were too large and changed the ratios somewhat. I’ll finish the pot I made, but probably won’t make again.
First disappointing recipe here. We found it bland, not bad with extra dill upon serving. However I wonder if it lacked flavour because I used one gigantic zucchini instead of 4 small ones (September, so remaining zucchini’s are huge). Would not make again.
I’m so sorry to hear this didn’t turn out well – thanks for the follow-up!
Will one HUGE zucchini cut down on the flavour? It’s that type of year when they are huge at the farmers markets.
Hi Angie, I know they can grow to the size of a baseball bat!! That should be fine; you’ll need 4 – 5 cups sliced zucchini. Hope you enjoy!
What a welcome find… I have been looking for “Whole30” compliant recipes, and this was a great match for my current supply of vegetables. Against your recommendation, I used an immersion blender, and the result was chunky (and messy) but still tasty! I used regular (not low-sodium) broth and omitted the extra salt. I did not find it bland. Thanks!
😋 I added a dollop of sour cream. So satisfying and delicious.