Basil Zook Soup

Another green soup! I've made this one countless times since this first run with its sadly underwhelming photo. Try it with a drizzle of olive oil (basil-infused?) or cashew cream to make it look not so sad.

This one is mostly zucchini (I used Mexican squash; they're interchangeable). That, and the inclusion of ginger and basil, gave it a lightness that actually made it very good cold. Similar soups (with asparagus) I've found to be a bit cloying when eaten cold.

This one was like jumping into a deep, clean lake on a hot summer day. A lake with a lot of spiciness. This seems like the perfect late-summer soup because even though in LA you can have them year-round, I still really associate both zucchini and basil with that time of year.

Basil-Zucchini Soup

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic, chopped
1/2 chili, minced
2 TB ginger, minced
4-6 c mild green vegetables, sliced: I used 2 broccoli stalks (only the stalks, not the florets) and 6 small mexican squashes
4-6 c stock/broth/miso (I used broth prepared with half veggie better than boullion and half cold mountain kyoto red miso)
1 large bunch basil, chopped

Instructions
1. Saute onion, garlic, chili, and ginger, then add mild green vegetables and saute a bit more.
2. Add broth and simmer until broccoli stalks are quite soft. Turn off heat and let cool.
3. Add basil and blend until quite smooth. I tried using the immersion blender and found that the broccoli was a little too tough, so I ended up using my regular blender.
4. Enjoy hot or cold. Serves about 5.