Lopez Island Zucchini Soup

Four cups of broth (I use Better Than Bouillon organic vegetable base; you need a kettle, or a Pyrex measuring cup that can hold four cups)

Three and a little more pounds of zucchini

One medium yellow onion

Two big jalapeno peppers – or three medium ones; or you can use a cup of chopped basil instead.

A head of celery (I cut it into multiple slices from the leaves back toward the heart; I use probably a cup or more of the chunks)

A couple cloves of garlic

One medium potato (I use Yukon Gold type)

A big kettle

Put some olive oil in the kettle

Dice the onion

Chop the celery chunks

Slice the garlic into thin slices

Dice the potato

Put the celery, potato, garlic and onion in the kettle and stir around to distribute the olive oil on all the ingredients

If you have a glass lid that fits the kettle, use that so you can see how the sauté is going, otherwise cover with whatever lid you have and check frequently after you have put the thing cooking on low. It takes about twenty five minutes. I start it out on high to get it started and then to low.

Slice the zucchini

Cut the jalapenos in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and pulp; then cut them into crescents.

When the celery, onion, garlic and potato are par cooked – don’t caramelize – put the zucchini, jalapenos and broth into the kettle and cook until the zucchini is just cooked, not sloppy. Stir the mix several times during cooking. When the center portion is soft but not falling out the rest will be just done, which is what you want. This takes a little less than forty minutes on medium for a while and then on low.

Using an immersion blender blend the mix until it is a silky texture.

This makes a lot of soup but it’s good enough that you will want to eat it more than once, or invite people to join you.

We have two Pyrex utility bowls with plastic covers that we store it in. It lasts in the refrigerator for three or four days.

We have never had it last any longer than that.