Zucchini Kale Soup with Ginger and Garlic

I was getting a cold so I wanted to make soup, and I wanted to use the zucchini in my fridge that I’d bought for some other purpose but hasn’t used. Enter zucchini garlic soup from The Kitchn. Easily modifiable – you could probably follow this basic recipe with whatever ingredients you want:

– Sauté onion and a bunch of garlic slowly so they sweat
– Add in the vegetables of your choice (I did 3 small zucchini and the rest of the kale that I think was left over from the citrus chicken side dish)
– Add in broth of some kind (I ended up not exactly using broth but using the liquid that was left in the crockpot after I made slow cooker chicken with mustard seed and thyme – super flavorful and definitely added to the creaminess. And I actually just took some of the fat from the top of the jar to sauté the garlic and onion.) I also added in a little water so that all the veggies were covered.
– Simmer for ~45 min
– Add in ginger – they say powdered, which I thought I had but didn’t so I ended up grating in some fresh. This became a pretty overpowering flavor which I liked, but powdered or just a little may be better depending on your audience.
– Immersion blend it all
– Serving suggestion (totally not necessary): Add a dollop of Greek yogurt or ricotta or something with a little tang, and grind fresh pepper on top.
– Another serving suggestion: Make this soup a day ahead as apparently it will taste even better. I would know as I ate mine immediately.

Side note: As I had neglected to thaw the broth I was planning to use (because making this soup was kind of a last-minute decision, as per usual) I wasn’t sure how to get it to thaw fast. I put the word out to friends without microwaves and didn’t wait to hear their advice, but this is what everybody said:

1) What I did, which totally worked but that may have just been lucky:
– Put the jar with the lid off in a pot of water on the stove and heat the water on low so the broth can melt but the jar won’t burst or crack

2) AmyLou’s suggestion:
– Put the open jar in the oven on low (200*f) with a pan under it – apparently this is a more controlled way to do what I did, and you don’t have to watch it as carefully.

3) James’ and Laura’s suggestions:
– Freeze stuff in containers with straight sides – glass for acidic, plastic for other stuff since it won’t break in the freezer. Then just put it in warm water til the sides loosen and you can slide the whole thing out. Yes, that would have been smart.