I’ve come to the realization lately that lunch is a tough meal. With little kids still home during the day, I occasionally end up eating whatever I make them for lunch: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets. And most of the time when I get lazy and eat what my kids are having, I know in my heart that I’m letting myself down. It’s not that there’s anything so wrong with my kids’ lunches–I always include lots of fresh fruits and veggies, so they’re plenty nutritious–it’s that they’re so terribly unimaginative. Borderline boring, even. I always think to myself as I’m putting that chicken nugget in my mouth, “Melissa, you can do so much better!”
That’s where really easy, delicious dishes like this soup come in to save the day! With the teeniest, tiniest bit of forethought, I can whip up a pot of this satisfying soup in 20 minutes and have lunches for three or four days. It’s chock-full of vegetables, savory and sophisticated. See ya later, mac-n-cheese!
3 cups chopped zucchini (about 3 small zucchini)
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced carrot
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
2 1/2 cups chicken broth (If you want this to be vegetarian, just swap vegetable broth for the chicken broth.)
a generous pinch of kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
sour cream for serving
Combine all ingredients except sour cream in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a steady simmer. Simmer until veggies are tender, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and blend with a stick blender* until smooth. Add more salt and pepper to taste, and serve topped with a generous dollop of sour cream.
*If you don’t have a stick blender, you can use a regular blender or a food processor. Just be careful because everything will be piping hot!