Recipe: Chilled Zucchini-Buttermilk Soup

I'm not a fan of buttermilk, au natural. But use it in a cold summer vegetable soup recipe, and nothing could be better. I add spinach to make it green, and the tarragon adds a note of subtle sophistication.

Yield 6-7 cups
Active Time: 20 minutes
Chill Time: 2-24 hours

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, washed thoroughly, then thinly sliced
• 5 medium-sized zucchini, washed, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices( 5 cups)
• Zest and juice from 1/2 lemon
• 3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh spinach
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk

Directions

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, heat oil to medium heat. Sauté leeks with a pinch of salt, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes.?
2. Add zucchini, lemon zest and juice, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes or until zucchini is softened. Add stock and simmer an additional 6-8 minutes, stirring in spinach the last couple of minutes.?
3. Purée zucchini mixture and tarragon in a food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). ?
4. Stir in buttermilk and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.?
5. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours before serving, and preferably overnight.

This recipe was written by Peggy Lampman and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on Aug. 12, 2011.