A delicious, low-effort chunky courgette and cheese soup that only needs a few gentle presses with a potato masher. Low carb and keto-friendly, it echoes the comforting creaminess of a German Käsesuppe while staying simple to make.
While staying aboard our narrowboat, I developed a handful of fuss-free soups that travel well and are easy to eat on the move. This courgette and mozzarella version was a favourite, and I’ve since made it with vintage cheddar too. Both variations deliver a comforting, creamy soup with satisfying chunks of softened courgette and melted cheese.
These soups were ideal for quick lunches while my husband steered the boat. Over the past year I’ve also changed my eating and exercise habits: I moved away from a low-fat, high-carb approach and embraced a low-carb pattern that includes full-fat cheeses and creams. That change, combined with a disciplined morning exercise routine, helped with weight loss. This soup fits well into that way of eating—rich, filling and low in carbs.
What Makes This an Easy Courgette Soup?
Cooking on a narrowboat means limited worktop space, fewer appliances and sometimes restricted power from solar panels. I created this recipe to be practical: no blender required, no complicated steps. You simply chop, fry, simmer and press a few times with a potato masher to reach a creamy-but-chunky texture that still feels homemade.
Many courgette soups call for roasting or full blending to a velvety finish. This version keeps some body and texture, which I prefer—small pieces of courgette remain, giving a satisfying mouthfeel alongside the melted cheese. It’s flexible too: use mozzarella for a lighter, stringy melt or a punchy vintage cheddar for more flavour and little pockets of melted cheese.
Storing Courgettes with Limited Space
On long trips I often carry a lot of courgettes because they’re versatile and low in carbs. If you can’t refrigerate them immediately, courgettes will usually keep about five days in a cool, dark place. In very cold fridges that freeze at the back, avoid letting courgettes touch each other; contact with frozen spots can make parts go soft. Trim away any damaged or soft areas before cooking.
More Narrowboat Recipes
- Slow cooker or stove-top lamb and mint stew with dumplings
- Cheesy leeks and bacon linguine
- Sausage casserole with Branston pickle or a steak sauce
How To Make Courgette Soup
Courgette and Cheese Soup (Keto & Chunky)
A simple, chunky courgette and cheese soup that needs minimal equipment and no blender—just a potato masher. It’s low carb, hearty and perfect for quick midweek meals or to pack for travel.
5 minutes
20 minutes
25 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 courgettes (zucchini), diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Pinch of sea salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- 2 beef stock cubes (use vegetarian/vegan alternatives if preferred)
- 700 ml water (about 3 cups)
- 200 g mozzarella, grated or chopped (or another melting cheese)
- 200 ml double cream (optional, for extra richness)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic and sweat gently until translucent and fragrant.
- Add the diced courgettes, salt, pepper and oregano. Fry for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the courgettes begin to soften.
- Crumble in the stock cubes and pour in the water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes until the courgettes are tender.
- Turn off the heat and press the courgettes a few times with a potato masher to break them down while keeping some texture. About ten gentle presses will thicken the soup while leaving small pieces intact.
- Stir in the cheese and, if using, the double cream. Allow the cheese to melt into the hot soup, then ladle into bowls and serve immediately.
Notes
Smooth Option
If you prefer a silky texture, blend the soup until smooth with a hand blender or countertop blender. The recipe is intentionally written to work without one, but blending is a fine alternative.
Alternative Cheeses
This soup works well with a variety of cheeses. Mozzarella gives a mild, stringy melt while vintage cheddar adds a stronger, more savoury flavour and small pockets of melted cheese. Other good options include blue cheese or soft cream cheese depending on the taste you want.
Why This Suits Low-Carb and Keto Eating
This recipe avoids starchy thickeners like potatoes. The broken-down courgettes combined with cheese create a satisfying, thick consistency without a large carbohydrate load, making it suitable for keto and other low-carb approaches.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving (approximate):
Calories: 380
Total Fat: 35 g
Saturated Fat: 17 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
Cholesterol: 72 mg
Sodium: 346 mg
Carbohydrates: 13 g
Fiber: 3 g
Sugar: 8 g
Protein: 7 g
Please note: all calorie and nutrition information is approximate.
Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a comment or share a photo—I love seeing how people adapt the soup.