Summer Squash Overload?

How is it that you can put a harmless looking 4” plant in the ground in May, and by August, you’ve eaten yellow squash (or zucchini) in so many ways but it’s still producing? It is an inspired crawler, encroaching on every other plant in the garden!  How much freezer space do you have? Have you pickled? Fermented? Fried? Gratineed? Souped? 

A glut of vegetables throughout the summer is a blessing. You may find that you are lucky enough at points throughout the summer when you have too much garlic, onions, peppers, yellow squash, and others that you’d like to preserve, but don’t necessarily want to can or freeze these harvested vegetables individually.

Consider an alternate means of preservation.  Here is a concept that might be just what you are looking for. This technique uses up the bounty in a way that gives you a well-deserved head start on a winter’s meal.

While working at my restaurant, my partner and I found that making and freezing soup bases gave us real-time savings.  We were able to cook the base once and have multiple soup starters.  This works well when making sofrito for black bean soup, tortilla soup, and in this case, a creamy luxurious chowder.

If you’ve sliced and diced your way through gallons of squash and bagged and frozen the winter’s worth of minestrone additions, try this satisfying and rich soup that combines the bounty of yellow squash, freshly harvested corn, onions, and potatoes.

  - MG Mary Wheatley

Summer Squash Soup Base - Yield 2 quarts

Soup Base Ingredient List

  • 2 medium to large onions, roughly chopped

  • 8 cups roughly chopped yellow squash (if your squashes are large, remove the seeds, then dice.  Pare off any rough patches, but otherwise, leave the peel intact)

  • 4 oz. of butter or olive oil

  • 1-2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

  • salt & pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, combine 2 roughly chopped onions and 8 cups of diced yellow squash with a 4 oz. stick of butter.  Add 1 tsp salt and black pepper to taste.  Cook over medium heat until the squash and onions are totally broken down. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic.  Turn off the heat and use a stick blender to completely puree the mixture.  You may need a bit of broth or water to get the mixture moving.  Alternatively, cool the vegetables and use an upright blender to smooth out the veggies. The pureed vegetables should be a thick mixture, similar to applesauce in texture. 

At this point, you can cool and freeze the mixture in 2 one quart containers and freeze for use over the winter.  If you’d like to proceed with the chowder, here are the additional steps:

Summer Squash and Fresh Corn Chowder Recipe

Did you know that any ‘chowder’ technically includes diced potatoes?  Chefs use a lot of creative license when developing recipes, but if something is called a chowder, you can count on it containing diced potatoes.

Additional Ingredients for the chowder

  • 3 cups peeled, ½” diced potatoes

  • 3 cups stock (chicken or veggie)

  • 2 ears of fresh corn, kernels removed

  • Heavy cream (optional, but delicious)

  • Fresh herbs, jalapenos, or other optional garnishes

  • 1 quart soup base

In a 3 quart saucepan, place 2-3 cups of diced (1/2” pieces) peeled potato (red skin or gold potatoes work really well here, but russets are also delicious).  Cover the potatoes with about 3 cups of stock (veggie or chicken) and bring to a boil, then reduce to a slight simmer and cook until barely tender. 

Once the potatoes are ready, dump in the quart of pureed soup base and add the kernels from 2 ears of fresh corn.  In the winter, using frozen corn works beautifully. Heat thoroughly but leave the crispness of the fresh corn for texture. 

** For some herbal notes, I like to add some fresh thyme and rosemary or even tarragon. Maybe 1-2 teaspoons of fresh herbs. Taste as you go, as thyme and rosemary are very strong.  Use just a pinch if you are going with dried herbs. Fresh Basil, lemon basil or purple Genovese basil would be lovely instead of the rosemary and thyme, but add in the last few minutes of cooking or use as a garnish.

** For extra creaminess, add about ½ cup of heavy cream.

** A little bite?  A sliced fresh jalapeno added in the last few minutes of the soup’s simmer will really bring out the ‘summer’ in this bowl of hearty soup. 

** Here are a few ways you might consider garnishing the soup to elevate it to a guest-worthy experience:

  • Flake a bit of grilled or smoked salmon atop the soup

  • Crumbled cooked bacon and fresh chives

  • Minced fresh herbs

  • Pico de gallo

  • Serve in a wide, shallow bowl with a seared sea scallops or a skewer of barbequed shrimp

Adminsquash, zucchini, recipe, chowder