Creamy Zucchini and White Bean Soup

Soup weather is here once again, so what better to make than  a warming bowl of goodness for dinner!  That was my thought tonight when I decided that was what I was going to make.  I had a giant zucchini that I had acquired, and it was far to much to simply make baked goods out of, so it went into my soup.  I wasn't sure what kind I wanted to make when I started with this zucchini soup, it was sort of a random choosing of ingredients as I went.  In fact when I started and as I was sauteeing the shallots and garlic, I thought a curried zucchini soup might be nice, but the theme quickly switched to an Italian flavor when I remembered I had some cooked white beans I wanted to throw in. A creamy white bean zucchini with parmesan was what I had in mind, but oops!  No parmesan cheese, so I made the soup creamy with the addition of almond butter instead of adding any dairy to the broth.  Rosemary, basil and thyme were my herbs of choice, and at the end I threw in a little miso paste which was just what it needed to give it that delicious I don't know what it is but it is crazy good flavor.  The soup was wonderfully creamy and warming, silky in my mouth with a light herby and savory flavor.  It was made even better with the addition of some toasted garlic basil bread for dipping, as a nice bread used for mopping up extra soup is a must for me.  What a wonderful use for that extra zucchini!  If you  have a bit of zucchini you need to use, or you would just like a warming dish for early fall, give this one a go!

Creamy Zucchini and White Bean Soup
Serves 3

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 large shallots, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups zucchini, diced
1 1/2 cups cooked navy beans
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup unsalted roasted almond butter
2 Tbsp white miso
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil

1 tsp rosemary

2 tsp sea salt or to taste

In a medium stockpot, heat olive oil and add shallots.  Saute until translucent, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and saute another 30 seconds until fragrant.  Add zucchini, beans, vegetable broth, almond butter, miso, thyme, rosemary, and sea salt and simmer until zucchini is tender, about 20 minutes.  Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth and serve!