This chilled cream of courgette with fresh zaatar is the perfect summer starter. It has a nice clean and simple taste and is absolutely brilliant if you are having guests over and want to prepare something easy ahead of time. It’s a different way of enjoying courgettes, which not only have a lot of nutritional benefits but also have the added bonus of being really easy to digest.
Here I mix it with fresh zaatar, wonderful-tasting wild thyme that’s easy to find in the Middle East. Don’t confuse it with the dry spice mix variety however. Check out David Liebovitz’ article on this, he does a great job comparing them. Having said this, you can totally substitute it for regular fresh thyme, savory or almost any other herb of your choice such as dill, parsley or basil. Where the cream is concerned, if you want to avoid dairy, feel free to sub for coconut cream or a thick cashew milk.
Ingredients
- 500 grams courgettes, ends removed and sliced in 1cm slices
- 1 liter of organic chicken broth (or water)
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh zaatar or another fresh herb of your choice
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Place your courgettes in a big pot. Fill it with chicken broth or water until it just barely covers the courgettes and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until the courgettes are cooked through. Strain them and reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.
- In a blender, place the strained courgettes, a few tablespoons of cooking liquid, salt and zaatar. Blend until smooth.
- Add cream and blitz for another 10 seconds. If the texture is too thick for your liking, add more cooking liquid. Taste and adjust salt seasoning.
- Chill in the fridge for at least two hours (it needs to be cold, not lukewarm) before serving.
Optional: If you want to give an added kick, crumble a bit of feta or fresh goat cheese on top before serving.
