This chilled zucchini tomato and basil soup is easy to make, full of the flavors of summer, and a delicious way to use produce from your garden. It’s only 5 ingredients and is vegetarian and vegan. Enjoy this soup on a hot summer’s day!

zucchini tomato basil garlic soup close up

This is one of my favorite soup recipes and I make batches of it every summer. It’s simple, easy to make and doesn’t require much time in a hot kitchen. The ingredients scream summer – fresh zucchini, tomatoes and basil. I mean, can you get any more summery?

It’s a chilled soup that’s wonderful and cooling on a hot summer day.

Ingredients and Substitutions

chilled zucchini tomato basil garlic soup

Zucchini: I use regular zucchini, but it might be fun to experiment with other types of summer squash like yellow, crookneck or pattypan.
Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes give this recipe its summery taste. The tomatoes are peeled and seeded, but if you’re short on time, canned peeled and seeded tomatoes should work (I haven’t tried it though, so I can’t say for sure). The measurement given in this recipe is based on whole, fresh tomatoes, so you may want to use a little less if using canned.
Fresh Basil: I like a lot of basil, but feel free to adjust the amount to your taste. Use fresh basil, not the dried basil that comes in a jar from the supermarket.
Garlic: Adjust the garlic up or down according to your taste.
Olive oil
Salt: To taste.

Peel and Seed the Tomatoes

Bring a pot of water large enough to hold the tomatoes to boil.
Slice an X on the bottom of the tomatoes.

While waiting for the water to boil, fill a large bowl with cold water and several ice cubes and set aside.
When the water comes to a boil, carefully lower the tomatoes into the water.
Let the tomatoes boil for about 1 minute or until the skins start to pull away from the tomato.
With a slotted spoon, remove the tomatoes and immediately transfer them to the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

Once the tomatoes are cool enough to touch, remove them from the ice water and peel. The skins should easily peel off.
Cut the tomato in half, remove the core, and use either your fingers or a spoon to remove the seeds.

Make the Soup

zucchini tomatoes basil and garlic in pot with water

zucchini tomatoes basil garlic in blender

In a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt, olive oil and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, add the zucchini to the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes.
Remove the pot from heat and set aside to cool.
With an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender, puree the soup until it’s smooth.
Put the blended soup in the refrigerator to chill for 1-2 hours or overnight. Serve the soup at room temperature or lightly chilled.

Expert Tips

Make ahead – Prep the tomatoes ahead of time or the day before. Simmer the ingredients, store them in the refrigerator and blend them up the next day.
Dress it up – Chiffonade some basil and sprinkle it on top when serving. Drizzle some yogurt over the soup to create a beautiful color contrast. Sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese on top for an extra pop of salt and umami.

How Long Does Zucchini Tomato and Basil Soup Last?

This will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, and in the freezer for about 3 months.

How to Store Zucchini Tomato Basil Soup?

Store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate. You can freeze this soup too! Freeze in a freezer-safe container (I use freezer-safe Ziploc bags), or in several individual-size freezer-safe containers. To thaw the soup, leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

Is Zucchini Tomato and Basil Soup Vegetarian?

Yes, it’s vegetarian and vegan!

More Recipes You’ll Love

Chilled Zucchini Tomato and Basil Soup

This chilled zucchini tomato and basil soup is easy to make, full of the flavors of summer, and a delicious way to use produce from your garden. It’s only 5 ingredients and is vegetarian and vegan.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs zucchini, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 lb fresh tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
15 leaves fresh basil
4 cups water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Peel and seed tomatoes

Bring a pot of water large enough to hold the tomatoes to boil.
Slice an X on the bottom of the tomatoes.
Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with cold water and several ice cubes and set aside.
When water comes to a boil, carefully lower tomatoes into the water.
Let tomatoes boil for about 1 minute or until skins start to pull away from the tomato.
With a slotted spoon, remove tomatoes and immediately transfer them to the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
Once tomatoes are cool enough to touch, remove from ice water and peel. The skins should easily peel off.
Cut tomatoes in half, remove the core, and use either your fingers or a spoon to remove the seeds.

Make the soup

In a stockpot, combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt, olive oil and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, add zucchini to the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes.
Remove pot from heat and set aside to cool.
With an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender, puree the soup until it’s smooth
Put blended soup in the refrigerator to chill for 1-2 hours or overnight. Serve soup at room temperature or lightly chilled.

Notes

Make ahead – Prep the tomatoes ahead of time or the day before. Simmer the ingredients, store them in the refrigerator and blend them up the next day.

Dress it up – Chiffonade some basil and sprinkle it on top when serving. Drizzle some yogurt over the soup to create a beautiful color contrast. Sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese on top for an extra pop of salt and umami.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!