This silky roasted courgette soup is full of flavour—slow-roasted courgettes and garlic blended with peas and basil, finished with crisp ciabatta croutons and toasted pine nuts.
🍴 Why you will love this recipe
No saucepan required! Roasting the vegetables concentrates the flavours and gives this soup a rich, silky texture. The courgettes lose their watery mouthfeel and the garlic becomes sweet and mellow as it roasts.
Blended with peas, a squeeze of lemon or a touch of dairy-free cream, and plenty of fresh basil, the soup is light but deeply satisfying. It’s a great way to use up an abundance of courgettes: this recipe uses around three medium-large courgettes and freezes well for easy meal prep.
📝 What you need
Courgettes (zucchini) form the base of the soup. Choose small or large courgettes to reach roughly 950g total weight; when roasted they become wonderfully creamy. If your courgettes are exceptionally large, consider recipes designed for marrow or winter squash.
Leek or onion provides a savoury foundation—use a large onion if you don’t have a leek. Slice so it roasts evenly with the courgettes.
Garlic mellows when roasted, so the four whole cloves called for here add depth without sharpness.
Frozen peas bulk out the soup and boost creaminess; fresh peas work well when in season. Use a good-quality vegetable stock and check it meets your dietary preferences.
🔪 How to make your courgette soup
For a concise, printable recipe with exact measurements and step-by-step instructions, see the recipe card below.
Slice the courgettes and leek into even pieces and place them on a roasting tray with whole garlic cloves. Toss with oil, salt and pepper and roast until golden and soft—about 40–45 minutes depending on the size of the veg.
Make up the vegetable stock in a heatproof jug and add the frozen peas to thaw. When the roasted vegetables are done, squeeze the soft garlic from its skins and discard the skins.
Transfer the roasted vegetables to a saucepan, add the stock and thawed peas, plus most of the basil and dairy-free parmesan if using. Stir in a little dairy-free cream or milk for added silkiness.
Puree the soup until completely smooth using a hand blender or a food processor. Meanwhile, toss cubed ciabatta with olive oil and bake until crisp, adding pine nuts for the final minute so they toast without burning. Serve the soup garnished with basil, a sprinkle of dairy-free parmesan, the ciabatta croutons and toasted pine nuts.
⭐️ Reader testimonials
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “This soup is fantastic! All the flavours complement each other without any being overpowering. I always have a glut of courgettes and was looking for a new soup—so pleased I found this recipe.” Carole
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Made this with leeks and courgettes from my garden—utterly delicious with a gorgeous depth of flavour. Perfect for sharing at our community café.” Sandy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “This is the most delicious soup I’ve ever made. The roasted garlic makes a huge difference—highly recommended.” Lily
👩🏽🍳 Variations
This recipe is very adaptable—try these simple swaps or additions to change the flavour profile and use up more courgettes:
- Roast slices of fennel with the courgettes for a sweet, anise-like lift.
- Add a generous handful of fresh mint in place of, or alongside, the basil for a bright finish.
- Crumble vegan feta over the soup at serving for a salty, creamy contrast.
- Stir in cooked orzo or pearl barley to transform the soup into a filling main course.
👩🏽🍳 Top tips and FAQs
Blend thoroughly. To achieve the silkiest texture, blend for longer than you think. A good hand blender or food processor running for a minute will ensure the courgette skins and leek are fully puréed.
Watch the roast time. Roasting times vary depending on courgette size and how thick they’re sliced. Expect 30–60 minutes; you’re aiming for golden, tender pieces rather than dry, shrivelled veg.
🍽 If you liked that…
You might also enjoy other vegetable-forward vegan dishes such as roasted tomato and red pepper soup, creamy courgette curry, marrow soup or courgette chutney.
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Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup
-
Creamy Courgette Curry
-
Marrow Soup
-
Courgette Chutney with red peppers & tomato
Enjoyed this recipe? ⭐️ Leave a rating and, if you like, snap a photo of your finished dish and tag @thevegspace or use #thevegspace on social media.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Courgette Soup with peas & basil
Kate Ford | The Veg Space
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 950 g courgettes (zucchini), about 3 large
- 1 leek (or 1 large onion)
- 4 garlic cloves, whole (roast in skin)
- 2 tablespoons olive or rapeseed oil
- 750 ml vegetable stock
- 200 g frozen peas
- 75 g dairy-free parmesan (optional)
- 20 g fresh basil
- 4 tablespoons dairy-free cream or milk (optional)
For the croutons:
- 1 ciabatta roll, cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC (fan) / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4.
- Trim the courgette ends and slice into 1cm-thick chunks. Place on a roasting tray.
- Trim and slice the leek into similar-sized rounds. Add the whole garlic cloves (in their skins) to the tray. Drizzle with oil, season, and toss to coat.
- Roast the vegetables for 40–45 minutes, turning occasionally, until soft and golden but not burnt.
- Make the vegetable stock with boiling water in a heatproof jug and add the frozen peas to thaw while the veg roasts.
- When cool enough to handle, squeeze the roasted garlic from its skins and discard the skins.
- Tip the roasted veg into a saucepan with the stock and peas and bring to the boil. Simmer 2–3 minutes until the peas are just cooked.
- Add most of the dairy-free parmesan and basil, reserving a little for garnish, and the dairy-free cream. Blitz with a hand blender (or in a food processor) until very smooth. Season to taste.
- For the croutons, cut the ciabatta into cubes, toss with olive oil and bake for 5 minutes until crispy. Add the pine nuts for the final minute to toast lightly.
- Serve the soup topped with torn basil, a sprinkle of dairy-free parmesan, the croutons and toasted pine nuts, and a swirl of dairy-free cream if desired.
Notes
Blending time matters: To get the silkiest texture, blend for longer than you expect. A minute or so with a good blender will produce a much smoother result than a few short bursts.
Roast carefully: Slices that are too thin may collapse and char, while thick slices can take longer to soften. Keep an eye on the tray and turn the veg for even browning.
Freezing: This soup freezes well—portion into containers, label with the date and freeze for a ready meal on busy days.
Nutrition
Per serving: 324 kcal; Carbs 25.4 g; Protein 14 g; Fat 20.8 g; Fibre 6.3 g.
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