Zucchini Soup with Coconut Milk, Curry and Lemon Grass

I over-planted the zucchini again. Want some? This beautiful soup can use up one large zucchini. Joy joy.
And you can make this recipe vegetarian/vegan

Zucchini Soup with Coconut Milk, Curry and Lemon Grass
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• 1 medium onion (I used a sweet yellow onion) chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
• Olive oil or coconut oil -- just enough to saute the onion & garlic, about 1 TB
• 1 large (2 pounds at least, more is fine) zucchini chopped in 1" pieces -- I peeled off some of the skin, but it all cooked down. I also removed the pithy core & seeds, but this zucchini was not overripe so very little was removed.
• 1 can chicken broth or vegetable broth 
• 1 can coconut milk (I used regular, but you may use light)
• 1 TB mild yellow curry
• 1TB fresh lemongrass or 1 Kaffir Lime Leaf, or try some Lemon Thyme? *see notes
• Optional: Mild Cheese: Shredded Mozzarella or Feta or mild Goat Cheese
• Optional: Toasted Pumpkin Seeds *see notes

1. Saute the onion and garlic in a little oil over medium heat until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Add zucchini, lemon grass and about half the broth. Simmer until tender, at least 10-15 minutes. (I covered the pot)
3. When the zucchini is tender, remove the lemon grass if you prefer (see notes), then blend with an immersion blender or transfer to a standing blender and blend until smooth.
4. Return to pot (if using standing blender) and add remaining broth, coconut milk, curry powder and salt and pepper to taste. Stir while heating to serving temperature.
5. I served this with a little shredded mozzarella cheese and toasted pumpkin seeds, along with some crusty sourdough bread. 

NOTES: The original recipe did not call for the lemongrass, but I have a bounty growing in my herb garden, so -- why not? I picked several thick stems with the blades, which are sharp as razors. I chopped it very fine and tossed it in. The fragrance was amazing and it did so much for this soup! The texture after blending was a little fibrous though, and I ended up running my husband's serving through a sieve so he would not complain. I did not mind it. Solution: leave whole and remove before blending. I think a Kaffir Lime leaf or  a little Lemon Thyme would be nice alternatives. Maybe fresh Tarragon?
Here's an excellent tutorial on using lemongrass.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds: I had some unsalted pumpkin seeds, and just laid them on a baking sheet, sprinkled with seasoning salt and put them under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes until a few were just turning brown. This was so good with this soup!