No-Cream Creamy Basil Spinach Soup
Zucchini makes up the luscious base of this shockingly delicious, lifechanging no-cream creamy basil spinach soup. So healthy. So delicious. SO worth making!
You know how last week, I was all, like, find zucchini at all costs to make this cake and never use zucchini for another thing and blah, blah, blah? Yeah, well, forget those words ever came out of my mouth.
Because you are going to need some zucchini for this soup and I promise it’s going to be lifechanging. I swear I’m not even trying to be dramatic.
This soup is shockingly delicious.
It’s creamy with a thick, velvety texture that tastes like you are eating the most decadent soup in the universe. Except there isn’t any heavy cream (or dairy) in sight. Ready for the lifechanging part?
Zucchini makes up the luscious base of the soup. Zucchini! I know…get out! Zucchini is simmered in a garlic-leek broth and then blended to smithereens making a creamy base for the spinach and chicken (which by the way, I’ve left out the chicken completely a time or two making a great vegetarian meal).
It has left me laying awake at night wondering how I can use zucchini as a “cream” substitute elsewhere in my life.
Not only is it creamy and delicious, it manages to be one of the most healthful, loaded-with-veggie soups I’ve ever put in front of my family.
And additionally (I know, can you believe there’s more?), while I was a bit skeptical how it would be received, I mean it IS bright green for goodness’ sake, my kids ate so many helpings that there wasn’t any left when Brian got home late from work. I mean, who am I to say to my kids, “No sweetie, you need to stop eating a lifetime’s worth of spinach and zucchini now.” They were freaking out (in a good way) about the crazy green soup they were eating, positive it was giving them instant super-hero powers.
I’m pretty sure they renamed the soup “Hulk Soup.” And don’t worry, I’ve made it three times since so Brian’s been able to get his fill and flex his own muscles, too.
What To Serve With This:
I usually serve this with some homemade bread and butter. Or grilled cheese. Or saltine crackers. And some fruit. Nothing fancy but seriously, it’s amazing.
My friend, Liz is the lovey who sent the recipe to me. She and I were inseparable best friends in our youth. Like, wearing matching outfits and making up choreographed routines to Michael Jackson songs. And I’m not even going to admit how long we played with our massive amounts of Barbies and accessories.
Friends like that? Well, you totally trust the recipes they send you. And this one has landed into one of my favorite soups of all time.
Get your hands on some zucchini and make it.
One Year Ago: Succulent Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Two Years Ago: S’mores Cookie Bars
Three Years Ago: Breaded Garlic Chicken in Lemon-Butter Sauce
No-Cream Creamy Basil Spinach Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 large or 2 medium leeks, green parts trimmed and discarded, white parts washed well and chopped
- 2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed, and chopped (about 4 cups total)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
- 2-3 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
- 1-2 cups cooked chicken
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the garlic, leeks and zucchini. Stir in the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, 3-4 minutes, until the leeks have softened. Add 1 cup of the broth, cover and cook, stirring every once in a while, until the zucchini is falling apart and very tender, 8-10 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender and add the basil. Carefully blend (in batches if needed). Pour the soup back into the pot. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth. Stir in the chopped spinach and cooked chicken and cook until heated through, 4-5 minutes.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from my childhood best friend, Liz P.
This is my favorite soup! But now I love it even more! My almost two year old has always been a great eater and will eat everything but she has slowly been turning into a “toddler eater” and won’t really eat veggies (she used to eat veggie soup for breakfast if she knew I had it!). I was thrilled today when she tried it and then ate three servings!
I can’t wait to try this! Would it be possible to use an immersion blender right inside the pot instead of transferring it to a separate blender?
Yes!
Can I freeze the No-Cream Creamy Basil Spinach Soup? Onions vs leeks…any difference?
Can’t wait to try this…just found your site and am going “exploring” (also signed up for new posts and the monthly newsletter).j
Thank you!
Yes, you can freeze the soup! Leeks have a more subtle flavor than onions.
I just made this soup and LOVE it!! The only thing I did differently was to add the spinach to the blender with the zucchini and leek mixture to create a completely blended soup. I disagree with this being 4 servings as I pretty much inhaled 2 bowls at lunch. Ridiculously easy to make and is so clean tasting and yummy!
I love this soup and have made it for years. Any thoughts on how to make it in the instant pot?
I haven’t tried it yet, but I’d saute in the Instant Pot, add the broth and then cook on high pressure for 1-2 minutes, maybe? I’m not sure the IP will save much time here with the coming to pressure and all that, but it’s worth a try!
You are right about the time thing. I’m just looking for a way to get dinner mostly made while we’re at piano lessons! I did what you suggested and then just had to come home and add spinach and basil, then purée. Worked great! Thanks!
Glad it worked out! And I hear you on just needing a hands off approach. Instant Pot to the rescue!
I love my Instant Pot, but I would advise against making this soup in a pressure cooking. The beauty of a soup like this is its freshness which is easily dulled by any setting other than saute.
Hi. Has anyone done a nutrient breakdown of this recipe? Calories and sodium in particular. I’d love to try this based on the reviews but am on a low sodium diet. Thanks!
Have you tried freezing? Making this for a yoga retreat and ended up with extras! Let’s see if my enormous batch gets eaten 🙂 super yummy soup. Thank you!!
I haven’t – sorry! I’m guessing it will freeze great, though.
Have you tried freezing? Making this for a yoga retreat and ended up with extras! Let’s see if my enormous batch gets eaten 🙂 super yummy soup. Thank you!!
I am 7 years old and I give this soup 5 stars. It is super good. I like the taste the basil gives it an d also, it might look bad, but it is super good.
Thanks for the review, Xavier!
Love this recipe. Great nutritous, filling and low calorie lunch after a workout. I dollop some non-fat Greek yogurt on top for added richness and a little protein. Totally guilt free and easy to make with an emersion blender. Also use a combination of spinach and kale.
This soup is amazing!!! My husband can’t eat too much dairy so it’s perfect for him 🙂 We’ll be making it again but this time, we’re definitely going to double the recipe because it didn’t last long!
This is delicious. I doubled the recipe and carmelized 3 full onions to use in this soup.
Yum!
I threw the batch with Spinach into blender for second time with remaining stock and soup turns out creamier.
Hi Mel,
Thank you for the “No-Cream Creamy Basil Spinach Soup” recipe. I have allergies to dairy and gluten, and was looking for a new and unique way to cook the zucchini in my fridge. This recipe looked interesting, but I was a bit skeptical that it would taste as good as the photo appeared. However, I have to say it far surpassed my expectations and I found it to be amazing! I believe the simplicity of seasonings is part of the reason I enjoyed it. My husband took a look at all the green and was certain he would not like it, but his mind changed at the first spoonful and he is looking forward to the next time I serve it!
Really satisfying, flavourful and creamy ! I can’t believe it had no milk, cream or potatoes !
Made it today for my mom and sister they love it very tasty and delicious. I will make this again.
Would frozen spinach work? I know I’d have to wring out the water very well. Also, what would you sub for leeks – scallions or sweet onion? Love your blog – it’s the best!
I haven’t tried frozen spinach, but I believe others have up in the comment thread. And yes, you could sub probably a shallot or chopped green onions for the leeks. 🙂
I just made this soup last night and it is amazing! I left out the chicken, used vegetable broth, and decided to blend the spinach at the end as well. I wish I had doubled or tripled the recipe though! I too, will now be wondering how else to use zucchini in lieu of cream!
This was the best, and healthiest, soup I’ve ever made/had in my life! I felt like a complete rockstar serving it to my husband and his friends! They all loved it!!!!
Amazing, Mel! This soup is so creamy and decadent it feels indulgent but so healthful and nutritious you’ll earn mega Super-Mom points. I’ve made this soup many times for my family and company but I have some adaptations that I thought may be helpful. I always at least double the recipe because it freezes so well! I didn’t understand why the recipe called for only using the white part of the leek. The green part is delicious – like a mild, green onion. So, I halve them, chop them all up and rinse very well to get rid of the sand. My almost 5 and 6 year old can be a little texturally sensative. Thus, I found blending the spinach with the rest of the soup avoids any unnecessary gagging. Finally, I’ve only ever made this without the chicken – with great success. I’m excited to try it tonight with some fresh watercress instead of spinach…
Thanks for your notes on this recipe, Andrea!
Made this soup yesterday for a potluck with some dear friends who are much older in age than we are. Their cooking is amazing, but they were raving about this soup. We all loved the flavor profile it has. thank you for all your recipes. Still have not made one from your site that hasn’t been knock off. Thanks again!
I love this soup but do a double recipe, use full sodium broth and add one can full fat coconut milk to give it more body.
DELICIOUS!!!
Thank you for this recipe! It is a regular in my house now. Healthy and deliciously creamy.
This looks AMAZING! Think it would work to replace the spinach with kale? I’ve got kale coming out my ears right now!
Certainly worth a try!
This soup sounds delicious..
Sometimes leeks can be sandy.. soo alot of rinsing I have found.
Do you only use the white part or the green also? Or how much of the
leek do you use in the soup?
I only use the white part of the leeks.
loved this soup!! I did not use the basil though. My daughter is a fussy eater but I was able to get her her drink a whole bowl.
Thanks.
I like this soup. It’s good hot or chilled.
Great soup – thank you for the recipe! I’ve made this the a few times and my husband (who’s not a big veggies fan) always devours it. The leftovers were great for work lunches (sometimes even a quick, hot breakfast!), too. The last time I made it, I ended up substituting about 1 1/4 cups of coconut milk, though, for some of the chicken broth (I probably added about 2.5 cups of liquid total instead of the 2 cups of chicken broth) since I didn’t have enough broth. The coconut milk just made it creamier, while still keeping it dairy-free.
found this recipe on Pinterest today and had to immediately make it. Soooo glad I did! Super easy to make and it’s absolutely delicious! My husband and baby devoured it. Can’t wait to make a big batch soon so I can freeze it. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I made this for the 4th or 5th time last night. So yummy! My whole family loves it, including my 2 year old daughter. I blend with an immersion blender after adding the spinach – my daughter gets weirded out when there are spinach leaves floating in the soup. I’ve shared this recipe with my Weight Watchers group as well. We’re all big fans!! I’ve also had success using dried basil when I couldn’t find fresh basil at the store.
I never comment on anything, but this soup is too good not to thank you for. I’m working on my second gigantic pot of it right now. Thank you!
This recipe was delicious. My friend asked for the recipe! The bomb. I used pesto that I had left over
Hi Mel! I consider myself a novice cook (I’m 52!) since it’s not something I’ve ever enjoyed doing (Baking is a different story!). I think you are slowly but surely changing my mind about cooking! So, on to this recipe…..we’re having a soup day at work (something like a potluck) and I’m going to give this a whirl (my family won’t eat green, so my coworkers are my test subjects!). Any ideas on how much I’d need to increase for a crock pot? Quadruple it? I’m not great at judging amounts and I don’t want to come up short. How many days ahead can I make it?
Hi Desiree – so glad you are enjoying cooking! This soup doesn’t make a huge batch – if you want to fill up an average crockpot (a round 4- or 5- quart one), I’d say you probably need to at least quadruple it, maybe even more than that. You could make this 2-3 days in advance and reheat the day of.
Hi Mel. Thanks for this. I ended up making 4 batches. Also ended up with leftovers, but just froze individual servings for later. Everyone (and I mean everyone!) loved this soup! I’ve been singing your praises all over Winnipeg (Manitoba) and I know there are a whole bunch of “Turn to Mel’s Kitchen” converts out there!
Thank you, Desiree! Winnipeg is near and dear to my heart (we just recently moved from a small town in Northern Minnesota and I drove to Winnipeg all the time to do my shopping!).
Have made this soup 4 times in the last couple weeks…and I’ve DOUBLED it the last 3 times. I keep it all to myself and eat it every day for lunch. It’s delicious. Love it!
This soup looked delicious, so I tried it. I was surprised at how spicy it is! Did I do something wrong, Mel? Has anyone else had that problem? My family prefers less spicy foods except for my son who liked this soup. Do your kids like spicy food, Mel? I might put a warning in the recipe about it. I will make it again, but cut the spice amounts in half. I think I’ll really like it then. I’ve never cooked with leeks before, so that was interesting. Thank you for all your great recipes and for your enthusiasm for cooking.
Hi Dawn – sorry this soup turned out spicy for you. That surprises me a bit since it isn’t spicy at all when I make it (my kids are ok with a little bit of heat, though). The only ingredient that could be contributing to the spice is the black pepper so perhaps cutting back on that will help (I’ve never heard of leeks being spicy but I guess I could be wrong about that). Hope you like it better if you try it again!
Just wanted to let you know that this recipe filled the “what my mom makes best” slot on my 9 year old daughter’s Mother’s Day questionnaire. Pretty special!
Could I make this and have it turn out fine without the leaks? Would the cream still turn out? Thanks!
Meghan – I’d probably sub some other type of onion for the leeks for flavor.
This soup is INCREDIBLE!! We are addicted! It’s so fulfilling to make, and then eat, something that you know has ZERO unhealthy or questionable ingredients! This is pure genius. Thanks so very much.
I made this today and it was DELICIOUS! I think next time I will sub veg broth and beans for the chicken broth and chicken to make it plant based and see how it turns out. I think it would be delicious (not plant based obviously) with crispy bacon instead of the chicken. It definitely needs to be doubled. Thanks for sharing!
OMG! So good, and if you leave out the chicken, it’s only 3 points for the whole pot on Weight Watchers! Loved it!
Can I just say how much I love your website!? I enjoy cooking but need variety in my meals. I was so tired of wasting time and money on finding and making recipes and then they didn’t even turn out very yummy! I have tried a ton of your recipes and have loved all of them! Plus, your website is easy to navigate, your pictures are beautiful, and you make it fun to browse with all of your witty writing! I have been telling all my friends and family about it. Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
PS This soup really is life-changing! We make it all the time and it’s amazing!
Thanks, Jen – your comment made my day!
I made this for dinner last night and am IN LOVE WITH THIS SOUP! SO much that I tried sharing it on my facebook wall (via the facebook icon you have with this recipe) but it wouldn’t work 🙁 Thanks for such an AMAZING recipe, Mel!!
I simply cannot believe how good this is. I’m passing it around to everyone I know. I’m lazy, though, so I just tossed some basil leaves and handfuls of spinach in with the mixture in the blender. The second time I made it (as soon as the first batch ran out!) I added canned chicken (I am restricted to a soft diet right now, so it’s another compromise) before blending, so it’s all smooth and delicious. I haven’t enjoyed cooking for the last several years, but this makes me feel like it might become my friend again. Thank you for making this soft diet routine seem like “restriction” to simple-prep gourmet food!
Hi–The soup came out well, but it was not nearly as bright green as yours (more bland green and less appealing). Did you puree in the spinach?
Love your writing!
Kathryn – I didn’t puree the spinach (although many people have said they did) but I did leave the peels on my zucchini so maybe that helped the color a bit? Not sure, but glad you liked it despite the lack of green color appeal. 🙂
Would this taste okay cold? I’m looking for healthier things to pack and take with me for lunch at school.
Sally-Anne – I’ve only ever enjoyed this warm but you could definitely try making it, tasting it cold and deciding whether it’s good enough to take for lunch. Good luck!
I love this soup!
It is easy and quick to make, creamy, and delicious.
I never add the chicken and only some of the spinach.
It might not be truly vegetarian since it is made with chicken broth.
Thanks for another keeper.
This is a terrific soup! I used sweet onion instead of leeks because I am lazy and don’t like cleaning them. Also, I had to substitute dried basil because I didn’t have any fresh, and the flavor was still wonderful. Thanks so much!
I made this to the delight of my ten-year-old who thinks I should be sure to make it on St. Patrick’s day! We all were amazed by how green it is. I didn’t bother with the chicken since we love all veggie soups and this one looked like it would be yummy without the meat. I froze a bunch of zucchini before we had hard frosts kill everything so now I have some fresh grated zucchini in the freezer for both this soup and zucchini cake! What a treat that will be in the dead of winter!
Made this soup for dinner tonight and I loved it! As did the 1 year old. As for my husband, the 3 year old, and the 7 year old, they weren’t so crazy about it. Which I’m really not at all disappointed about… That means more leftovers for me 😉
Okay, I was skeptical, but this was actually really good! My husband loved it, and he’s usually not big on soup. I puréed the spinach because I doubted my family would go for spinach “chunks.” I will double it next time so we have more leftovers. I love having another way to use up zucchini! (Funny story: I gave away 4 mammoth zucchini from my garden last week and had to BUY zucchini for this soup! Oh dear…)