Soups are a great way to heal your gut, but as the weather gets warmer sometimes we less inclined to feel like hot soup. This Easy Summer Zucchini & Basil Soup is great all year around.
It has those refreshing summer flavours of zucchini, basil, and lemon while being loaded with the healing benefits of bone broth.
You can enjoy this soup hot or cold, and it would even go well with some fresh mint.
Why Eat Basil?
Did you know that basil belongs to the mint family?
It is also known as Saint Joseph’s Wort. Basil is loaded with healing properties, that will make you want to eat this delicious herb a whole lot more!
There are many varieties of basil, here are some of the most common:
- Sweet Basil
- Purple Basil
- Holy Basil
- Thai Sweet Basil
- Greek Basil
As we mentioned in our article 16 Natural Antihistamine Foods (Plus Benefits!)
“Holy basil’s activity as an anti-histamine has been found to affect histamine’s H2 receptor, great news for those with histamine intolerance/histaminosis/mastocytosis/mast cell activation disorders with stomach grievances. Holy Basil is also known as Tulsi, one of my favourite herbal supplements and teas.”
It is an adaptogen to help reduce feelings of stress, as well as anti-anaphylactic, antihistamine, and mast cell stabilizing properties.
3 Powerful Properties of Basil:
1.Basil is a powerful Antioxidant – One of Basils best-known features, it contains water-soluble flavonoids called rientin and viceninare which can help to protect white blood cells. Basil has also been known to help fight free radical damage, this is because Basil also contains the antioxidant beta-carotene, which your body uses to make vitamin A, which is a key component in preventing free radical damage.
2. Basil is a great Anti-Inflammatory: Inflammation has become so widespread in modern times and often stems from chronic diseases. Therefore, it is vital to consume foods that manage and control inflammation. Basil contains essential oils including eugenol, citronellol, and linalool, which enzyme-inhibiting oils that are primarily responsible for lowering inflammation. This also makes basil great for inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
3. Basil is a Natural Antibacterial: Consuming basil is a great way to strengthen your immune system or fight off pre-existing infections. Basil extract is a strong antimicrobial that has even been known to help in restricting the growth of some bacteria that are unable to respond to antibiotics, how amazing is that?
So next time you add basil to your salad or meal, remember, it not only adds incredible flavour but it also helps reduce the number of harmful bacteria on the plate.
We hope you enjoy the flavour and goodness packed into this Easy Zucchini & Basil Soup and don’t forget you can enjoy it all year around!
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Easy Zucchini & Basil Soup (Low-Carb, Gut Healing)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 - 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 Hour
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Light Meal
- Cuisine: Soup
Ingredients
3 cups of bone broth
4 large zucchinis, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large leek, chopped
½ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
3 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of ¼ lemon
Himalayan salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a soup pot to medium-high and pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Then add the zucchini and sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Next, add the leeks and basil and sauté until translucent.
- Pour in the bone broth, lemon juice, and season your soup, stir well to combine.
- Put the lid on the pot and turn heat to low.
- Allow to simmer gently for about 20 – 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Either use an immersion blender or a high-speed blender, puree the soup
- To serve, top the soup with more olive oil and fresh basil if desired.