Nonna’s Zucchini Potato Soup (Italian Recipe)

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It has been so cold the last few days that I have been craving something that warms me up from the inside out and Nonna’s zucchini potato soup is just the thing.  This delicious soup gets its flavor from chicken broth loaded with zucchini, potato, onion, carrots and cheese.     It is easy to make and you can have a heaping bowl of comforting soup in about 30 minutes.

A bowl of zucchini, potato and carrot soup on a flowered blue placement.

This Italian zucchini potato soup is a favorite among our family and friends. It is hearty and has an almost velvety broth thanks to the texture of the zucchini and the starchy potatoes. It is amazing how a handful of ingredients can create such an incredible flavor experience.  

This potato zucchini soup recipe has been in our family for at least 4 generations and it has always been made with zucchini from our garden.  My parents and grandparents grew Sicilian zucchini (cucuzza), which gets incredibly long.  I swear sometimes these giant zucchini were taller than me! 

Sicilian zucchini is much longer, skinnier, and lighter green than regular zucchini but the flavor and texture are similar.  So since cucuzza is not easy to find in our local grocery stores, I often substitute regular zucchini which is just as delicious.   ​

Potatoes, onion, a tomato, a carrot , zucchini, chicken broth, a parmesan rind, a bullion cube and salt and pepper.

Ingredients

  • Olive Oil:  You can substitute vegetable oil if you need to but you will miss out on the rich flavor the olive oil adds to the vegetables.
  • Onion:  Diced white or yellow onions are fine in the recipe.  
  • Zucchini:  If you can find Sicilian zucchini, I recommend using them so your soup is as close to Nonna’s as possible. If not then select small zucchini.  They have better flavor and less water than large zucchini. 
  • Potatoes:  The type of potatoes you use really doesn’t matter.  Red potatoes and white potatoes will hold their shape better.  Russet potatoes will be starchier and make the soup a bit thicker which I love!  
  • Carrot: One carrot that has been peeled and chopped into small even pieces.
  • Tomato:  If you have a fresh tomato go right ahead and use that.  Just make sure to seed it before adding it to the soup. If ripe red tomatoes are not in season, feel free to use canned.
  • Chicken Broth:  Chicken stock or Vegetable broth can be substituted.
  • Chicken Bouillon:  This adds incredible flavor to the soup.
  • Sprig of Celery Leaves:  This brightens up the soup.  
  • Parmesan rind:  This is my secret ingredient as it adds so much flavor to soups, sauces, and stews.

How to Make Velvety Zucchini Potato Soup

  1. Heat Olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the chopped onion and sauté for 1 minute.  Then add the chopped zucchini, carrot and potato to the onion and sauté for two minutes, until the mixture is fragrant.
  2. Add the chicken broth, tomato, celery leaves, bouillon, salt, black pepper and parmesan rind.
  3. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then simmer for 25 minutes or until the potato is tender.
  4. Remove the celery sprig and the parmesan rind. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.
A bowl of Nonna's zucchini soup with potatoes and carrots.

Cooking Tips and Variations

  • Peel the zucchini, especially if you are using Sicilian Zucchini. One of the best things about this soup is that the zucchini becomes a bit creamy which makes the broth velvety. The skin on the zucchini will change that texture.  
  • Use an immersion blender or put the soup in a regular blender and puree it to make a creamy soup.
  • Using vegetable broth or stock will make this a delicious vegan dish.
  • To add protein to the soup my mom will often crack an egg into the soup while it is cooking.  Believe me when I say that it is soo good!
  • If you have a lot of fresh zucchini on your hands, go ahead and freeze them.  Then you will have it around to make your favorite zucchini soup during the colder months of the year. 

​Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing

You will find that this zucchini potato soup recipe is great for making ahead.  The longer it sits the more the flavors develop.  

When soup season comes around I like to make a large pot of this soup and store it in airtight containers. Let it come to room temperature then it can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.  This is a great way to have a quick but comforting meal ready in minutes any time of the year.

Leftovers can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.  

A bowl of zucchini, potato and carrot soup with grated cheese sprinkled on top.

Other Soup Recipes the Whole Family Will Love

When we were kids my mom made soup often on busy weeknights.  She would pull a saucepan out and start cooking as soon as she got home from work.  Her soups were always simple but with lots of flavor.  So that is what I strive for when making soup.

The kids all love Nonna’s Lentil and Rice SoupChicken Pastina Soup, and Homemade Turkey Soup.  

If you love soups loaded with lots of vegetables and protein you will want to try my Chicken Florentine Soup,  Ground Turkey SoupChicken Rosa Marina Soup or hearty Chicken Tortellini Soup.  They have everything in them to make a whole meal!

I love to get your feedback so if you tried this No Bake Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Curst & Pecan Topping  or any other recipes on this website, please leave me a comment below.  I hope you enjoy our recipes and look forward to hearing from you!

You can also follow me on FacebookInstagram and Pinterest for more recipes your family will love!

Nonna’s Zucchini Potato Soup

A bowl of zucchini, potato and carrot soup on a flowered blue placement.

Nonna’s Zucchini Potato Soup

Such a hearty soup that is easy to make and filled with flavor.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 130 kcal

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
  • cup Onion diced
  • 2 Zucchini small
  • 1 Carrot chopped small
  • 3 Potatoes white
  • 1 Tomato seeded and diced
  • 4 cups Chicken broth
  • 1 cube Chicken bouillon
  • 1 sprig Celery leaves
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp Black pepper
  • 1 Parmesan rind

Instructions
 

  • Heat Olive oil in a medium sauce pan.
  • Add Onion and sauté for 1 minute.
  • Add the zucchini, carrot and potato to the onion and sauté for two minutes, until the mixture is fragrant.
  • Add the chicken broth, tomato, celery leaves, bouillon, salt, pepper and parmesan rind.
  • Bring to a boil and then simmer for 25 minutes or until the potato is tender.
  • Remove the celery sprig and the parmesan rind. Serve with grated cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 6gCalories: 130kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 781mgPotassium: 807mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 308IUVitamin C: 47mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg
Keyword zuchinni, potato, soup
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5 Comments

  1. I’m q big fan of potato soup but never tired it with zucchini and honestly I love it more. I didnt use celery or Parmesan but instead used a mild cheddar cheese. I’ll def be making more and since I can freeze it, all my garden zucchini won’t go to waste! Thank you for this recipe! It’s amazing!!!!!!!!

    1. Lindsey I am so glad to hear that you loved the soup! This has been one of our favorite ways to use up all of the zucchini from our garden too!

5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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