June 17, 2020

Zucchini, asparagus and mint soup

Packed with vegetables, this soup is good for both your health and your tastebuds.

INGREDIENTS

  • 340g (about 2 bunches) asparagus, trimmed
  • 2 1/4 tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
  • 1 bunch spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1kg green zucchini, roughly chopped
  • 2L (8 cups) vegetable stock
  • 4 zucchini flowers, stalks thinly sliced, flowers reserved
  • 1/2 bunch mint, leaves picked
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 1/3 cup (80g) of coconut milk, sour cream or raw milk
  • Thinly sliced long red chilli and bread, to serve

METHOD

  1. Cut the tips off the asparagus and set aside until needed. Roughly chop the stalks.
  2. Heat 2 tbs oil in a large saucepan with a lid over medium heat. Add spring onion and garlic, and gently fry, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes until soft.
  3. Add asparagus stalk, zucchini, and stock and increase heat to high. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes or until very tender.
  4. Remove from the heat and carefully blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Season, then return pan to low heat. Stir in the asparagus tips and tear in zucchini flowers, then increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes or until tips have softened.
  5. Heat the remaining 1 tsp olive oil in a small frypan over high heat. Add the sliced zucchini flower stalks and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until slightly tender and golden. Remove from heat and stir through the mint leaves and lemon juice.
  6. Divide the soup among serving bowls. Top with a dollop of coconut cream, fried zucchini stalk mixture, and chilli. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with bread.

NOTES

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15mins

Cook Time: 40mins

Ingredients: 11

Difficulty: Easy

By Zina Stone November 27, 2025
Ingredients 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried oregano leaves 1/4 tsp dried c hilli flakes 2 (about 500g) chicken breast fillets, halved horizontally 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 small zucchini, sliced 175g mini capsicums, deseeded, halved 1 tbsp no-added-salt tomato paste 400g can cherry tomatoes 2 tsp white balsamic condiment 140g (2/3 cup) wholemeal couscous 160ml (2⁄3 cup) boiling water 250g green beans, steamed, halved lengthways Lime wedges, to serve Instructions Step 1 Combine paprika, cumin, oregano and chilli. Sprinkle spice mixture over the chicken. Step 2 Heat half the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Cook the zucchini for 1-2 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to plate. Add chicken to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until browned and almost cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Step 3 Heat remaining oil in pan over medium heat. Add capsicum. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until begins to soften. Stir through tomato paste. Add tomatoes and 125ml (1 ⁄2 cup) water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 6-7 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add chicken, zucchini and balsamic. Simmer for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Step 4 Meanwhile, combine the couscous and boiling water in a heatproof bowl. Cover and set aside for 3-4 minutes to absorb. Fluff with a fork. Nutrition and Cooking Times Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes Total time: 30 minutes Nutrient Value per serve: Calories: 480kcal | Protein: 30g | Fat: 28g | Carbohydrates: 28g
By Zina Stone November 27, 2025
In this bulletin...
By Zina Stone November 13, 2025
Ingredients 450g salmon fillet ½ teaspoon salt, divided ¼ teaspoon ground pepper 30g string beans (green, yellow, or a mix), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 ¾ cups water ¾ cup quinoa (red, white, or tricolored), rinsed 3 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, plus more for garnish, or 1/2 tsp. dried 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese ¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved or sliced Instructions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Place salmon filet on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with 1/8 tsp. salt and pepper. Bake until the salmon is no longer opaque in the center and flakes easily with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes, then flake the salmon into bite-size pieces (discard the skin). Meanwhile, bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a medium saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add 8 ounces beans; cover and cook until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Rinse the beans under cold water, drain well, and set aside. Combine 1 ¾ water, ¾ quinoa, and 1/8 tsp. salt in the saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Whisk 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 teaspoons chopped oregano, and the remaining 1/4 tsp. salt in a small bowl. To serve, divide the quinoa among 4 dinner bowls. Arrange the salmon, beans, tomato, feta, and olives over the quinoa. Drizzle with the dressing and garnish with more fresh oregano, if desired. Nutrition and Cooking Times Serves: 4 | Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Total time: 45 minutes Nutrient Value per serve: Calories: 480kcal | Protein: 30g | Fat: 28g | Carbohydrates: 28g