Zucchini Soup with Cotija Crisps
WHAT YOU NEED
- 3 - large Mexican Green onions (sliced thin-white part only)
- 2 - tablespoons olive oil
- 12 - tablespoons Cacique® Queso Cotija Grated Cheese
- 8 - green zucchini (cut into 1 inch rounds)
- 1 - tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 - teaspoon seasoning salt
- ½ - teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ - teaspoon ground mustard
- 3 - cups vegetable broth
- 4 - bay leafs
- ⅓ - cup Cacique® Crema Salvadorena

HOW TO MAKE IT
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Place a 1 ½ inch round cookie cutter on the baking mat and fill the center with 1 ½ tablespoons of grated Cacique® Queso Cotija. Continue until you have made 8 circles of cotija. Place the cotija circles in the oven and bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you make the soup.
- In a medium pot over a medium flame add in olive oil and allow to get hot. Add in sliced Mexican green onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add in zucchini slices, and minced garlic. Mix to combine and sauté for an additional 10 minutes. Sprinkle with seasoning salt, black pepper, and ground mustard.
- Pour in vegetable broth and toss bay leafs into the pot. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes.
- Remove zucchini/broth from the flame, and remove the bay leafs from the pot reserving them on the side. Pour the zucchini/broth into a blender and add in Cacique® Crema Salvadorena. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the blended mixture back into the pot, along with the bay leafs and place over a medium flame for 5 additional minutes.
- Serve warm, topped with cotija crisps and additional drizzles of Crema Salvadorena.