Keto Zucchini Cream Soup with Cream Cheese and Pumpkin Seeds
This keto zucchini cream soup is thickened with cream cheese and cream instead of potatoes or flour. Toasted pumpkin seeds provide bite and a nutty aroma. At about 7 g net carbs per serving the soup stays a light, vegetarian keto dinner that is ready in around 25 minutes.
The key facts at a glance
- Time required: approx. 25 minutes - a light, warming dinner.
- Only approx. 7 g net carbs and 39 g fat per serving.
- Ingredients: zucchini, cream cheese, cream, butter, onion, garlic, pumpkin seeds.
- Suits anyone looking for a creamy keto soup without potatoes or flour.
Ingredients
One serving is designed as a light keto dinner; with some parmesan or a fried egg it becomes a larger meal.
| Amount | Ingredient | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| zucchini | approx. 2 medium, diced with the skin on | |||
| approx. 2 medium, diced with the skin on | ||||
| vegetable stock | - | |||
| full-fat cream cheese | - | |||
| cream | - | |||
| butter | - | |||
| onion | finely diced | |||
| finely diced | ||||
| garlic clove | finely chopped | |||
| finely chopped | ||||
| pumpkin seeds | for toasting | |||
| for toasting | ||||
| salt | - | |||
| pepper | to taste | |||
| to taste | ||||
| nutmeg | - | |||
How it is made
Sweat the onion and garlic in butter until translucent, add the diced zucchini and deglaze with vegetable stock. Once the zucchini is soft, the cream cheese and cream go in and everything is blended smooth. Toast the pumpkin seeds separately in a dry pan and scatter them over the soup only at serving.
Why this zucchini soup suits keto well
The soup draws its creaminess from cream cheese, cream and butter rather than from potatoes or a roux. That keeps the carb content low while the fat share stays high. Per serving the combination delivers around 39 g fat, 10 g protein and approx. 7 g net carbs - a split that fits well into a ketogenic day of typically 20 to 50 g carbs. Zucchini is over 90 percent water and is therefore among the lowest-carb vegetables there are. Compared with a classic potato and zucchini soup, which reaches 25 to 30 g carbs per serving because of the potatoes, this version saves the bulk of that. The toasted pumpkin seeds additionally supply magnesium and a little protein. Reliable nutrition values for the individual ingredients can be found in the FDDB nutrition database.
Source: FDDB nutrition database
Thickening creamily without potatoes
A creamy soup also works without starchy thickeners. Cream cheese and cream make the soup velvety, and simmering the zucchini for a good while gives it body. If you want it thicker still, blend the soup for longer or reduce the stock a little. That keeps the carb content low without the consistency suffering.
Source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Vegetables and Fruits
Keeping net carbs predictable
The few carbs come from the zucchini and a small amount of onion. Leave out bread croutons or a potato addition and use the onion sparingly, and the serving reliably stays at about 7 g net carbs.
How do I serve and vary the soup?
Serve the soup hot with toasted pumpkin seeds, a swirl of cream and a little pepper. For more punch, fresh herbs such as basil or parsley, grated parmesan or a few drops of pumpkin seed oil all suit it. From experience it is worth genuinely toasting the pumpkin seeds separately in a dry pan - cooked in the pot they go soft and lose their bite.
Meal prep and reheating
The soup is well suited to prepping ahead and often tastes rounder the next day. Sealed airtight it keeps for about three days in the fridge and can be frozen in portions. To reheat, warm it slowly over gentle heat and do not let it boil hard, or the cream cheese and cream will split. Store the pumpkin seeds separately and toast them fresh so they stay crisp.
Variation without cream cheese
If you would rather not use cream cheese, you can thicken the soup with more cream or with creme fraiche. For a lactose-free, vegan version coconut milk works; it makes the soup creamy and keto-friendly too, but lends it a faintly coconut note.
Which tips help with this keto soup?
- Use the zucchini with its skin on; it provides color and fiber.
- Sweat the onion and garlic only until translucent, not browned, so the soup stays pale.
- Add the cream cheese only after simmering and do not boil the soup hard afterwards.
- Blend the soup thoroughly so it turns velvety without flour.
- Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan until fragrant and scatter them on only at serving.
- Season with nutmeg and pepper rather than with sugary stock cubes.
Nutrition values
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Keto context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | approx. 64 kcal | approx. 420 kcal | A light dinner; the energy comes predominantly from cream cheese, cream and butter. |
| A light dinner; the energy comes predominantly from cream cheese, cream and butter. | |||
| Fat | approx. 5.9 g | approx. 39 g | A high fat share, ideal for keto, above all from cream cheese, cream and butter. |
| A high fat share, ideal for keto, above all from cream cheese, cream and butter. | |||
| Net carbs | approx. 1.1 g | approx. 7 g | Low; the carbs come from the zucchini and a little onion. |
| Low; the carbs come from the zucchini and a little onion. | |||
| Sugar | approx. 0.8 g | approx. 5 g | Low; the sugar occurs naturally in the zucchini, onion and cream. |
| Low; the sugar occurs naturally in the zucchini, onion and cream. | |||
| Protein | approx. 1.5 g | approx. 10 g | Moderate; the protein comes from the cream cheese, cream and pumpkin seeds. |
| Moderate; the protein comes from the cream cheese, cream and pumpkin seeds. | |||
| Salt | approx. 0.2 g | approx. 1.5 g | Depends on the stock; with a low-salt stock the figure can be controlled. |
| Depends on the stock; with a low-salt stock the figure can be controlled. | |||
Note: Nutrition values are estimated averages per 100 g and per serving and may vary depending on ingredients, brands, portion size, and preparation. They do not replace individual nutrition or medical advice.
FAQ
Is zucchini soup suitable for a ketogenic diet?
Yes. Zucchini is very low in carbs, and without potatoes or flour the soup stays keto-friendly. Thickened with cream cheese and cream, it delivers around 7 g net carbs and 39 g fat per serving.
Can I make the soup creamy without cream cheese?
Yes. Instead of cream cheese you can use more cream, creme fraiche or coconut milk. Blending the softly cooked zucchini for a long time also makes the soup velvety without any starchy thickeners being needed.
Does the soup suit weight loss on keto?
It can, if the serving fits your daily plan. The carbs are low, but the cream, cream cheese and butter make the soup calorie-dense. As a light dinner it works well; reduce the cream if you want to save calories.
Can I freeze the soup?
Yes, the soup can be frozen in portions. When thawing, warm it slowly over gentle heat and do not boil it hard, so the cream cheese and cream do not split. Scatter the pumpkin seeds on freshly toasted.