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 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
By Zina Stone November 4, 2025
In this bulletin...
By Zina Stone November 4, 2025
Ingredients 500g barramundi fillets 2 tbsp olive oil Salt and black pepper, to taste 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved ½ cup mixed olives, sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tbsp capers, drained Zest of 1 lemon ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped Lemon wedges, to serve Instructions Prepare the Barramundi Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Pat the barramundi fillets dry and season with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Place them on a lined baking tray. 2. Make the Tomato & Olive Medley In a bowl, mix cherry tomatoes, olives, garlic, capers, lemon zest, and half the parsley. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 3. Roast and Serve Spoon the tomato and olive mixture over the fish. Roast in the oven for 12–15 minutes until the barramundi is opaque and flakes easily. Remove from the oven, garnish with the remaining parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice, and serve warm. Nutrition and Cooking Times Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes Nutrient Value per serve: Calories: 350kcal | Protein: 35g | Fat: 4g | Carbohydrates: 10g