This roasted carrot soup with warming spices, fresh garlic and ginger is a refreshing Mediterranean twist on the classic fall-winter soup.
In this carrot soup recipe, I start by roasting fresh carrots in a hot oven until they are caramelized. It might seem like an extra step, but trust me roasting carrots is a technique that creates an intensely flavorful soup.
It’s the same approach I take with my tomato basil and roasted butternut squash soup: develop the natural sweet and savory flavors in the oven, then blend with super bold and comforting Mediterranean seasonings.
Once the carrots are roasted, I finish the soup by adding warming spices like coriander, allspice, and freshly grated ginger for a nice kick. A touch of whole milk brings creaminess without weighing the soup down.
For those who like to meal prep, this roasted carrot and ginger soup is even better the next day.
Table of Contents
Roasted Carrot Soup Ingredients
This carrot ginger soup uses pantry essentials, most of which you likely have stocked. You’ll need:
- Extra virgin olive oil: Use any high quality extra virgin olive oil you have on hand, or check out our favorites over at our shop.
- Carrots: You’ll need three pounds of carrots, which gives the soup its rich flavor.
- Seasonings: Coriander and allspice give this soup a warming, aromatic quality–you can stock up on both at our spice shop. Salt and pepper enhance the flavor.
- Fresh aromatics: Garlic and ginger give this soup a nice kick and bridge the gap between the sweet carrots and savory spices. I wouldn’t recommend substituting either with dried versions.
- Broth: I used low-sodium vegetable broth to keep this carrot ginger soup vegetarian, but you can substitute with chicken broth if you’d like.
- Whole milk: Brings a nice creaminess without competing with the flavor. You can use an unsweetened plant-based milk or vegetable stock if you’d like to make this a vegan roasted carrot soup.
- Mint (optional): A garnish of mint leaves brings a freshness to the soup. You can omit the mint or substitute with other tender herbs like parsley or fresh chives.
How to Make Roasted Carrot Soup
This roasted carrot soup recipe is essentially three steps: roast the vegetables, blend, then simmer and season. Here's how you make it:
- Get ready. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Brush a sheet pan with olive oil.
- Roast the carrots. Trim off the tops and peel 3 pounds of carrots. Arrange the carrots on the prepared sheet pan and season lightly with salt and pepper. Drizzle generously with olive oil, then roast for 25 minutes. Flip and roast until the carrots are fork tender and nicely browned around the edges, about 20 minutes more. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Blend. When the carrots are cool enough to handle, cut into chunks and place in a large food processor or blender. Add 4 chopped garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger and 3 cups of vegetable broth. Puree until the mixture is smooth.
- Simmer. Transfer to a heavy cooking pot and add the remaining 2 cups of broth. Season with 1 teaspoon of coriander and allspice. Place the pot on medium heat and watch carefully as the soup bubbles. Stir occasionally until reduced slightly, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the milk. Turn the heat to medium-low and stir in 1 cup of whole milk. Once heated through, remove from the stove.
- Serve. Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with fresh mint leaves, if using. Enjoy!
Vegan Carrot Soup Option
If you would rather make a vegan version of this roasted carrot 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.)
What to Serve With Carrot Soup
This carrot soup is a great starter to any meal. But I often serve it for a light dinner with crusty bread–if I'm lucky enough to have baked some fresh focaccia, challah or pita chips it's particularly comforting. I sometimes sprinkle a bit of dukkah on top for an added aromatic and nutty quality.
To start the meal, I usually add a big Fattoush salad–the crunch goes nicely with the creaminess of the roasted carrot soup. If you want a heartier, more filling salad, try Balela Salad or Chickpea Egg Salad.
How to Store Carrot Ginger Soup
This carrot soup recipe keeps exceptionally well, both in the refrigerator and in the freezer. It’s a great way to get ahead for winter colds, busy weeks and more.
- To refrigerate: Wait for the soup to cool, then seal and store in your refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Allow the soup to cool fully. Seal in a freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months, leaving space a top to allow it to expand in your freezer.
- To reheat: If you’re reheating from frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat thawed or refrigerated soup in the microwave or over medium heat on your stove, adding more broth or water as necessary.
More Vegetarian Soup Recipes to Try
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Roasted Carrot Soup
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 pounds carrots, peeled
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 cup whole milk
- Fresh mint leaves, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Get ready. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Brush a sheet pan with olive oil.
- Roast the carrots. Arrange the carrots on the prepared sheet pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper and drizzle generously with olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes, then flip and roast until the carrots are fork tender and nicely caramelized, about 20 minutes more. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Blend. When the carrots are cool enough to handle, cut into chunks and place in a large food processor or blender. Add the garlic, ginger and 3 cups of the broth. Puree until the mixture is smooth.
- Simmer. Transfer the carrot puree to a heavy cooking pot. Add the remaining 2 cups of broth, coriander and allspice. Place the pot on medium heat and watch carefully as the soup bubbles. Stir occasionally until reduced slightly, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the milk. Turn the heat to medium-low and stir in the milk. Once heated through, remove from the stove.
- Serve. Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with fresh mint leaves, if using. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- To refrigerate: Seal and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Allow the soup to cool fully. Seal in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months, then thaw in the fridge overnight.
- To reheat: Reheat thawed or refrigerated soup in the microwave or stovetop over medium heat, adding more broth or water as necessary.
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.
Nutrition
*This post has been updated with new information for readers' benefit.
In step four you say "Add the remaining broth, corridor and allspice.", just a heads up for the typo 🙂
Oh thank you!
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!
You are very welcome! I'm happy to hear you were able to make adjustments in order to make it fit AIP!!
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!?
So glad you enjoyed it, Hilary!
Silly question I know but do I HAVE to peel the carrots?
I love everything about cooking except peeling carrots and chopping onions.
LOL
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.
Do you think I could use a little plain 0 fat Greek yogurt instead of the heavy cream?
I haven't tried that, but it will likely work.
would leave out the garlic next time....overpowering....
Made this recipe and was delighted with the result! Only my daughter didn't love it, and sher is getting picky in her adulthood. I had to make a couple of changes due to what I had = not enough carrots, so added chunks of peeled sweet potato. Out of fresh ginger, so used powdered instead. Couldn't find powdered coriander and allspice, so ground up whole spices (ancient but still flavorful). Used coconut milk instead of half & half. It may seem that I made a lot of changes, but I am confident that the result was true to the spirit of the recipe of the recipe. The veggies themselves were fantastic, right out of the roasting pan - we devoured some just like that.
By the way, I have found a way around my printing problem - I switched to another browser (namely Opera). The annoying nearly blank page was eliminated. There was an extra page, but the print preview worked in this case, and I was able to delete the extra page (at the end) easily. The annoying tabs for Facebook, pinterest and email printed out, but covered only a few letters in the description (the first two in each line), but the meaning is clear.
Thanks again for a great, easy, healthy recipe, which I will make again!
Thank you so much for sharing, Betty. So happy to hear the printing issue is resolved for you.
Hi Suzy
Just made this great soup, I love the combination
of ginger and garlic with any dish, and this soup
was perfect just the way it is.
Thank you.
That's wonderful, Belinda! Thanks so much for sharing.
This soup is delicious and so easy to make! I would not change a thing! Perfect for a cold rainy day
This recipe is AMAZING!!! The bowl is still sitting in my lap, empty of course and I had to get on here to talk about how good this soup is! The spice combo really does make this soup. It is so flavorful. It really is not difficult to make which is a major bonus. I added a touch of honey bc I wanted it sweet and I am in love! I will make this over and over again. No need to change a thing. Delicious!
Aww thanks so much, Susie! So glad you enjoyed it.
LOVED the recipe but didn’t have the right spices. Used Red Curry Paste, fish sauce and Coconut Milk instead of the spices and heavy cream. Garnished with cilantro and lime juice. So velvety and I love the taste of the roasted carrots.
You changed it from a Mediterranean taste to a Thai/ southeast Asian taste. The spices are correct for a meal with Spanish foods.
I decided to start the Mediterranean Diet as a way to eat healthy all the time. I'm loving it, but was having trouble finding dishes to try that fit our meager budget! I had some bookstore gift cards and bought two cookbooks and was disappointed in both of them. I was ready to give up and live on my salad creations when I found your site and was thrilled! I love your simple to make recipes (and with ingredients I have on hand). I love this soup and plan on trying more of your recipes in the coming weeks! Thank you so much!
Rene, so glad to have you here. Can't wait to hear what you'll be making next.
Added 1/3c rinsed red lentils (19g protein), cooked all till they were soft, and puréed with immersion blender. Tasty! Lentils are a perfect way to thicken soups as they absorb the flavours and add protein, too.
Made this at a dinner party-entirely plant-based. I served it with toasted baguette slices on top of the soup mixture that were baked with the same seasonings for the soup and garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds and flat leaf parsley. I used a bit of coconut cream to finish the soup off at the end- a huge hit!
Lee, thank you so much for sharing your ideas! So glad everyone enjoyed it!
Excellent, tasty and quick and easy to make. Thank you!!!
Can you confirm that it’s ok to freeze after addition of cream? Not sure if texture will be the same once thawed...
Hi Odette, so glad you enjoyed it. Remember creamy soups are best not to freeze because they end up kinda separating when reheated.
It is that time of year. Ginger is the perfect complement to the carrots. You look like you got the perfect texture.
Oh it is so good!
Wow, carrot soup sounds out o this world. Am going to give it a go. I hve a vegetarian in my family and all my sops are veggie based. Hae never done carrot soup like this before but certainly sounds awesome.
Thanks for the wonderful receipe.
Wonderful, Rose! I'm happy to hear it!