Zucchini and Parmesan Soup

So there I was, surfing the food and cooking section of Zite on my iPad and came upon this recipe from the June 18 issue of the Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald.

Did you ever see a dish and immediately think, "I must make this"? Well, that's what happened. Since the recipe was from Australia, all the measurements were metric so what follows is my own variation.

Zucchini and Parmesan Soup

1.5 lb zucchini

4 garlic cloves

1 bunch fresh basil

32 oz (approx) chicken stock

1 cup whipping cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano 

1 pinch sea salt

Peel the zucchini and slice them crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. Crush the garlic cloves in a garlic press. Tear the basil leaves into small pieces.

Heat a little olive oil in a sauta pan over medium heat. Add the zucchini, basil, garlic, sea salt.  Saute for about 10 minutes or until the zucchini starts to soften.

Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender and then return it to the saute pan. Stir in the cream and butter. Set aside enough parmigiano reggiano to garnish each serving and stir the rest into the soup. Let the soup simmer until it reaches the desired consistency.

Serve with a sprinkle of grated parmigiano reggiano on top.

Serves 2-3