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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Good Afternoon, Jenn!
Quick question: what would you recommend pairing with this soup to make it a complete dinner? A salad? Salmon? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! Thanks!
Hi Bethany, a couple of options that come to mind: focaccia, this French Grated Carrot Salad, or for something a bit more substantial, this Chicken Salad. Hope that helps and that you enjoy whatever you try!
I assume that the walnuts are intended as a garnish? They are omitted from the instructions.
Hi Ann, the walnuts actually get incorporated into the soup and add a nice creaminess. See the fourth paragraph of the instructions for more guidance. Hope that helps!
This is a fantastic recipe and I’ll be making it again and again. Question: Could I use canned artichoke hearts or peas rather than the zucchini? And if so…how much? Thanks.
Hi Cynthia, Glad you liked it. I wouldn’t recommend artichokes here and if you want to use peas, I’d recommend this recipe (which you can thicken up a bit with walnuts if you’d like). Hope that helps!
This soup looks so delicious. In the photo, you have 4 medium sized zucchini. Would you please approximate the weight of the zucchini needed? Thanks in advance.
Hi Cassie, I haven’t weighed them, but I’d guesstimate that you’d need about 1 & 1/3 lbs (you’ll need 4 – 5 cups sliced zucchini). Hope you enjoy!
Silky smooth with a lively taste and a touch of richness – and so quick and unfussy! Perfect as-is, but I was thinking that next time I’d garnish with a dollop of sour cream instead of adding the lemon juice to the whole pot – just to change things up.
Absolutely fabulous! Simple, quick and yummy. Didn’t have fresh dill, so used a scant tablespoon of dried. And probably didn’t use all 3 tablespoons of lemon. Perfect for our taste. This time of year I like cold soups. My husband likes hot soups anytime. So we can do both. Love that you can freeze it too. Thank you so much!
I have made this soup many, many times. Today it was absolutely perfect! I was a little heavy with the zucchini (blessed with beautiful, big zucchini at the grocery). Added a little extra broth to compensate. Used dried dill and mistakenly added before simmering. Resulted in the best batch ever! Did not have to adjust any seasonings.
Would almonds or cashews work instead of walnuts??
Hi Heather, I haven’t tried it with either of those, but I suspect they would work. Please LMK how it turns out!
This is one of our favorite soups, healthy and delicious. I use a bunch of dill as in the picture instead of attempting to measure it. (I’m a huge fan of dill) Thank you for your amazing soup recipes!
Soup is my favorite food, and this was an absolutely beautiful recipe. So silky and the walnuts add a unique taste. I cooked it with shallots and added yellow squash. Perfect. I make it all the time now. Thank you!
Really delicious! Adding the walnuts was just sheer genius.. I don’t like thickening soup with potato so this was just the best idea.
Made it for a dinner party tonight and it was enjoyed by all. I did not use walnuts but instead, I added a couple of potatoes with the zucchini and substituted the last tablespoon of EVOO with 1 tbsp of macadamia oil . I also added some whole milk to the soup. I will definitely make the soup again as long as there is zucchini from the garden!