If you love a creamy, hearty, flavor-packed bowl of soup, this roasted carrot soup recipe will deliver on all fronts! The warm Mediterranean spices, coupled with garlic, and fresh ginger will surprise you in the best way possible. And for those of us who are into meal prep, this carrot ginger soup is even better the next day!
Tips & video below.
I'm what you call a "souper," defined as someone who will eat soup all year round, even on hot Atlanta days.
And for those of us who can be a bit last-minute (me!), a big pot of soup is the perfect answer to the pesky question, "what's for dinner?" And a great way to use up vegetables forgotten in the back of the fridge. Two examples are earlier Chunky Vegan Lentil Soup and today's carrot ginger soup.
What can I do with a lot of carrots?
The first time I made this creamy carrot soup was to use up the abundance of carrots I had on hand. It took 3 pounds of carrots to make and it was truly the perfect use for them.
Roasted carrots, cook together with aromatics like garlic and fresh ginger and couple of warm Mediterranean spices. The base of this soup is mostly broth with a bit of heavy cream (or a vegan substitution) for a silky
How do you soften carrots for soup?
The first important step in making this carrot ginger soup recipe is how to prepare the carrots. Some recipes call for sautéing or boiling the carrots until tender, but after some experimenting, I found that roasted carrots were the best option for this soup.
When roasted, the dry heat of the oven caramelizes the natural sugars in the carrots and pulls out their sweetness. Not only do they get perfectly tender for the soup, but the process of roasting immediately produces deep and beautiful flavors that makes this creamy carrot ginger soup extra special!
Yes, roasting the carrots takes a bit of time, but you can do this one night in advance and save the carrots in the fridge until you're ready to make the soup.
How do you make carrot soup from scratch?
- First, roast the carrots until tender and perfectly caramelized.
- Puree in the food processor
When the carrots have cooled enough to handle, cut them up and blend them in a food processor with fresh garlic (4 cloves), about 1 tablespoon of minced fresh ginger, and 3 cups of vegetable broth or chicken broth and puree (or you can use an immersion blender, if you're more comfortable with that).
- Add the remaining ingredients and cook
Transfer the carrot puree to a cooking pot. Add the rest of the broth (2 ½ cup) and 1 teaspoon each coriander and allspice. Cook over medium heat, watching and stirring occasionally as the soup bubbles (about 10 to 15 minutes).
Turn the heat down (medium-low to low) and stir in the heavy cream (or vegan substitution of your choice). Cook, stirring regularly, until warmed through.
What to serve with it?
This carrot soup is a great starter to any meal. But I often serve it for a light dinner with crusty bread (and if I'm lucky enough to have baked some fresh Challah or pita chips, for something crunchy)! And if you've made my dukkah, sprinkle a bit on top of this tasty soup!
To start the meal, I usually add a big Fattoush salad. If you want a heartier, more filling salad to start, try Balela Salad or Chickpea Egg Salad.
Vegan carrot soup option
If you would rather make a vegan version of this soup, you can replace the fat free half and half with coconut milk. The flavor profile will change slightly, but it will still be delicious. Or you can simply add just a little more broth (of course, select a vegan broth.)
Meal-prep and make ahead tips
You can make this soup ahead and simply refrigerate in a glass container with a tight-lid. It will keep well for 3 to 4 days, if stored properly. Reheat over medium heat (you might need to add more broth.)
You can freeze portions of this soup, once fully cooled off, in freezer-safe glass containers. Thaw in the fridge overnight. And heat over medium heat (again, you might need to add more broth.)
More soup recipes to try
Check out more soup and stew recipes.
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Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup with Ginger
Ingredients
- 3 lb carrots peeled
- Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 5 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth divided
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 ½ cup unsweetened half and half or heavy cream, if you like
- Fresh mint for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Arrange the carrots on a large lightly oiled sheet pan. Season the carrots lightly with salt and pepper and drizzle generously with olive oil. Roast in the 425 degrees F heated-oven for 45 minutes, turn over mid-way through. When the carrots are fork tender and nicely caramelized, remove them from the oven and set aside briefly.
- Once cool enough to touch, cut the carrots into chunks and place them in a large food processor with the garlic, ginger and 3 cups of the broth. Puree until the mixture is smooth.
- Transfer the carrot puree to a heavy cooking pot. Add the remaining broth, coriander and allspice. Place the pot on medium heat and watch carefully as the soup will bubble. Stir occasionally.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and stir in the heavy cream (or half and half). Once heated through, remove from the stove.
- Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with fresh mint leaves. Serve with your favorite rustic bread. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Pro Tip: For a vegan version, you may omit the fat free half and half and replace with more broth or coconut milk (although the flavor profile will change, but will still be tasty).
- Pro Tip for What to Serve with this Soup: This carrot soup is a great starter to any meal. But I often serve it for a light dinner with crusty bread (and if I'm lucky enough to have baked some fresh Challah or pita bread, even better!) To start the meal, I usually add a big Fattoush salad (tip: when you make fattoush, make extra pita chips for the carrot soup!) If you want a heartier, more filling salad to start, try Balela Salad or Chickpea Egg Salad.
- Prepare Ahead Tip: You can make this soup ahead and simply refrigerate in a glass container with a tight-lid. It will keep well for 3 to 4 days, if stored properly. Reheat over medium heat (you might need to add more broth.) You can freeze portions of this soup, once fully cooled off, in freezer-safe glass containers. Thaw in the fridge overnight. And heat over medium heat (again, you might need to add more broth.)
- Recommended for this Recipe: Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil
Nutrition
*This post has been updated with new information for readers' benefit.
Annette says
Hi Suzy - I love the idea of this recipe, but I am cow-dairy free. I can eat goat cheese.
What can I substitute for the half-and-half or cream in this recipe?
Thanks.
Suzy says
Hi, Annette! I have found that coconut milk works well with this recipe. It changes the flavor just a little bit, but it's still very good!
David M. says
Yesiree, this afternoon I made the “Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup with Ginger” recipe for the first time. Added a small roasted sweet onion and everything else was as Suzy prescribed. Delicious, and leftovers in the freezer for two more meals. Just my wife and me, and at 70+ we don’t eat a lot anymore. The “leftovers” will be a nice on a cold Sunday evening with a simple sandwich or salad. This is the 4th recipe I’ve tried from Suzy and all have been very flavorful. Thanks!
Suzy says
That is so wonderful to hear, David! Thank you!
Lama says
Made this last night - amazing!
Suzy says
Thanks, Lama!
Cathy says
Roasting the carrots first makes ALL the difference!
Suzy says
Yesssss! 🙂
Kevin says
How yummy is this! I love the use of carrots like this!
Suzy says
Thanks, Kevin!
Toni Dash says
This would be a sure hit at my house!! Such an amazing comfort food!
Suzy says
Hope you enjoy it, Toni!
Beti | easyweeknightrecipes says
This roasted carrot soup looks incredibly delicious! I can't wait to try it!
Suzy says
Enjoy 🙂
katerina @ diethood.com says
mmm...this looks so warm and comforting!! Perfect for fall!
Suzy says
Hope you enjoy it!!
Vikki says
I love how flavorful this creamy soup is!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
This roasted carrot soup is seriously making me hungry!
Kim says
I'm going to give this a try! Thank you!
David says
Oh my goodness! I made this for my girlfriend and we could not stop eating it. And I'm so looking forward to my leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Suzy says
So glad to hear it, David! Thank you
Cindy says
I made this soup last night and it was an absolute hit! So hearty and the flavors are incredible! Thank you.
Suzy says
Awesome! Thanks so much, Cindy
Deneen says
Delicious. I added a large onion cut into chunks to the roasting pan after the carrots had been cooking for 25 minutes. They carmelized along with the carrots. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. Served it with cheese cubes an a sour dough baggett. Everybody in the family loved this soup. It will be a go-to meal for us.
Suzy says
Sounds wonderful, Deneen! Thanks for sharing!
Ann says
Can greek yogurt replace half and half???
Suzy says
Not in this particular recipe, but you can try whole milk or coconut milk if you like.
Diann says
Delicious and very easy! I think I will add just a bit more ginger next time. I didn't have quite enough carrots so I made up the difference with sweet potato.
Anastasia says
In step four you say "Add the remaining broth, corridor and allspice.", just a heads up for the typo 🙂
Suzy says
Oh thank you!
Tina Young says
This is my favorite soup to make in the winter! I follow AIP so I modified some of the ingredients. I use mace instead of allspice and full fat coconut Milk instead of heavy cream! It turns out great every time! Thank you for this recipe!
Suzy Karadsheh says
You are very welcome! I'm happy to hear you were able to make adjustments in order to make it fit AIP!!
Hilary says
This is a fantastic soup - I use unsweetened almond milk instead of cream but it is quite delicious! Will be making it for my Christmas Dinner first course!?
Suzy Karadsheh says
So glad you enjoyed it, Hilary!
Michael says
Silly question I know but do I HAVE to peel the carrots?
I love everything about cooking except peeling carrots and chopping onions.
LOL
Suzy says
If you wash and scrub the carrots really well, you may be able to get away without peeling them. Personally, I would take the time to peel'em.
Lynn says
Do you think I could use a little plain 0 fat Greek yogurt instead of the heavy cream?
Suzy Karadsheh says
I haven't tried that, but it will likely work.