Chilled Zucchini Soup with Kelp Croutons

This smooth and satiny chilled soup is garnished with crunchy kelp-dusted croutons, toothsome coins of raw zucchini and peppery arugula sprouts. Using kombu to flavour the cooking water adds a hint of savouriness without asserting its presence. Rapidly chilling the soup in an ice bath helps preserve the vibrant green colour.

KELP CROUTONS

3 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed 1 tbsp (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil

¾ tsp (4 mL) kelp granules

Fine sea salt to taste

SOUP

1 piece of dried kombu, 5 x 7 inches (12 x 18 cm) 4 cups (1 L) water

2 tbsp (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

3 lbs (1.36 kg) zucchini, halved lengthwise, sliced ¼ inch (5 mm) thick

Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups (500 mL) washed baby spinach

1 small, very fresh zucchini, sliced into paper-thin rounds for garnish

Arugula sprouts for garnish (optional) 1 To prepare the croutons, preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2 Cut bread into even cubes. Place in a small mixing bowl. Drizzle with oil and mix with fingertips to coat. Sprinkle with kelp and lightly season with salt. Mix again. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake on middle rack until golden brown and crunchy, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Transfer to airtight container. (Store croutons at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.) 3 For the soup, combine kombu and water in a large saucepan. Soak 30 minutes. Place over medium heat. When it comes to a boil, remove from heat. Discard kombu. Set aside. 4 Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. (Lower heat if they start to brown.) Add garlic. Cook 2 minutes. Add zucchini, kombu broth, salt and pepper. Raise heat to high. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to maintain simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in spinach until wilted then remove soup from heat. 5 Working in batches, purée soup in a blender until smooth. (Firmly hold blender lid down with kitchen towel while machine is on.) Transfer soup to a clean pot. Fill a large mixing bowl about one-third with ice water. Set pot in bowl. Stir occasionally until soup has cooled completely. Transfer soup to airtight containers. Refrigerate up to 3 days. 6 To serve, taste soup for salt. Pour into bowls and garnish with kelp croutons, sliced zucchini and arugula sprouts, if using.

Serves 6