The harvest season on the farm, has come up fast. My husband has started swathing, and the garden is producing an array of produce. It is officially zucchini season. Only two zucchini plants produce a plethora of amazing fruits, and yes, they are technically fruits. Zucchini, also known as summer squash, are high in several minerals, and many vitamins including five different B vitamins, vitamin C and K. The skin of a zucchini is 2 – 10 times higher in beneficial carotenoids, so by all means eat with the skin on, especially if they are from your garden or a neighbor’s garden that does not use chemical spray. Zucchini is a good source of fiber at 2.5 grams per cup. Surprisingly zucchini contains omega 3 essential oil. Zucchini are low in calories and full of nutrients. If you did not grow any, there should be lots of fresh organic ones at the local farmer’s market. The dill is ready and in abundance this time of year, as it has self-seeded from other years.
Onions are a great source of the nutrient quercetin, and the good news is that cooked onions retain this beneficial nutrient, undamaged by the heat. Quercetin is a flavonoid that may inhibit the growth of certain cancers. Quercetin has been shown to lower bad cholesterol, raise good cholesterol and be protective of the cardio-vascular system. Onions are a natural source of both quercetin and chromium, which both assist in blood sugar control. Onions and garlic contain sulfur compounds that work to detox our bodies by binding to heavy metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium and then escorting them out of the body.
This soup is literally and alphabet soup of beneficial vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phenols. I used a lot of dill in the soup, but feel free to start with half the amount and then add more if you would like. I add in the dill stems straight into the soup, and they impart even more dill flavour.
Zucchini and Dill Soup
1 pound of burger
1 tablespoon oil or lard
2 cups onion, chopped
2 cups potato, cubed
1 can tomatoes
5 cups water
2 cups zucchini, cubed
2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped
2 dill stems, whole
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chopped green onion
Brown the burger, in the fat. Add all the onions and potatoes, and cook until some browning is happening. Add the rest of the ingredients except the green onions. Cook until the potatoes are cooked. Add in the green onions in the last few minutes of cooking. Discard the dill stems. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
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