Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 1, 2024
Like carrots? You’re going to love this carrot soup recipe. It’s luxuriously creamy and full of incredible roasted carrot flavor.
This classic carrot soup is a wonderful soup to serve with your favorite winter salads, sandwiches, and even holiday entrées. Since carrots go well with so many other flavors, it’s a versatile soup to keep in your repertoire.
You might be pleasantly surprised to learn that this creamy soup is actually made without cream. It’s a light and healthy soup, not to mention budget-friendly, too.
I tried making the soup with sautéed carrots instead of roasted, but roasted carrots give this soup magical powers. If you’re a fan of my butternut squash soup or cauliflower soup, the method for this recipe will be familiar already.
Since I can’t help but play around with flavors, I came up with three fun and simple variations—carrot ginger soup, curried carrot soup, and Thai curried carrot soup with lime. You’ll find details in the recipe notes. It’s about time this food blog had a proper carrot soup recipe, and it’s really four in one!
How to Make the Best Carrot Soup
You’ll find the full recipe below, but here are a few key factors.
1) Roast the carrots
Roasting the carrots condenses their flavor, which brings out the carrots’ best sweet-and-savory notes. This step makes all the difference between a ho-hum carrot soup and a why-is-this-so-good carrot soup.
2) Cook some aromatics and spices
Meanwhile, we’ll sauté some chopped onion in oil until tender. Then, we’ll add some fresh garlic, plus ground coriander and cumin. The spices make the soup taste more interesting in a subtle way. (If you’re out of coriander or cumin, though, you can omit them.) Cooking the spices in oil for about 30 seconds wakes them right up, while it mellows the garlic.
3) Simmer to bring it all together
Then, we’ll add vegetable broth, water, and the roasted carrots when they are out of the oven. We’ll gently simmer them all together for 15 minutes to bring all the flavors together.
Of note: I’ve been experimenting with using water instead of vegetable broths in soups, and I rarely miss the broth. If you’re cutting costs or watching your sodium intake, water is a great option here. I’ll share my notes on this subject in greater detail soon.
4) Blend in a stand blender
Stand blenders always yield ultra creamy results. Immersion blenders don’t come close! That’s why I always recommend blending soup in a stand blender instead. I don’t like cleaning extra dishes, either, but the resulting texture is worth the effort. You can find my favorite blenders in my Amazon shop (affiliate link).
Be careful while blending. Let the soup cool for a few minutes before transferring to a blender, never fill past the maximum fill line (it could explode), and be careful near the steam escaping from the lid (it’s hot!).
5) Finish with butter and lemon
You won’t believe how much difference a tablespoon of butter makes at the end. Once blended into the rest, it makes the soup taste more luxurious without dulling the other flavors like cream does (did you know that soups could be this creamy, without cream?). Adding some lemon juice brightens up the finished product and brings it all together.
Three Delicious Carrot Soup Variations
You know me—I couldn’t help but play around with this recipe. Here are three truly delicious variations on the “basic” recipe. Actually, let’s call the “basic” version classic instead. It does not taste boring!
1) Carrot Ginger Soup
Another classic! The carrot ginger variation is especially good if you are under the weather, or trying to warm up from the inside out. Add freshly grated ginger along with the garlic (see amounts provided in the recipe notes).
2) Curried Carrot Soup
This might be my favorite option. Simply add some Indian curry powder along with the other ground spices. Carrots and warming curry spices are a perfect match. You can also add some ginger to this variation, if you’d like.
3) Thai Curried Carrot Soup
You guessed it—add some Thai red curry paste for a lively carrot soup with irresistible Thai flavors. At the end, blend in some lime juice instead of lemon. This variation is especially beautiful when garnished with chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro leaves.
Please let me know how your soup turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Wondering what to pair with this carrot soup? Here are a few suggestions:
- Arugula and Wild Rice Salad with Zippy Lemon Dressing
- Farro and Kale Salad with Goat Cheese
- Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Pepitas
- Kale Pecan Pesto over pasta
- My Favorite Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Mujadara (Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions)
Looking for more creamy, lightened-up soups? Here are a few more favorites to bookmark:
- Classic Tomato Soup (Lightened Up!)
- Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Watch How to Make Carrot Soup
Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup
This homemade carrot soup recipe is ultra creamy (yet cream-less) and full of rich, roasted carrot flavor! It’s the best carrot soup you’ll ever have. Recipe yields 4 bowls or 6 cups of soup.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided, to taste
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 cups vegetable broth (or water)
- 2 cups water
- 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup, if desired.
- To prepare your carrots, peel them and then cut them on the diagonal so each piece is about ½″ thick at the widest part (see photos).
- Place the carrots on the baking sheet. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Toss until the carrots are lightly coated in oil and seasonings. Arrange them in a single layer.
- Roast the carrots until they’re caramelized on the edges and easily pierced through by a fork, 25 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway. (Heirloom carrot varieties will roast in as little as 25 minutes, but regular carrots are more dense and typically require 35 to 40 minutes.)
- Once the carrots are almost done roasting, in a Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and turning translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, coriander and cumin (if following a variation, see recipe notes for additions). Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour in the vegetable broth and water, while scraping up any browned bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon or sturdy silicone spatula.
- Add the roasted carrots to the pot when they are out of the oven. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, to give the flavors time to meld.
- Once the soup is done cooking, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Then, carefully transfer the hot soup to a blender, working in batches if necessary. (Do not fill past the maximum fill line or the soup could overflow!)
- Add the butter, lemon juice (or lime, if following the Thai variation), and several twists of black pepper. Blend until completely smooth. Add additional salt and pepper if necessary, to taste. Add another tablespoon of butter if you’d like more richness, or a little more lemon juice if it needs more zing. Blend again, and serve.
- This soup keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about four days, or for several months in the freezer.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my creamy roasted cauliflower soup and roasted carrots recipe.
Carrot ginger soup variation: Add freshly grated ginger with the garlic and ground spices. Use 1 teaspoon for subtle ginger flavor, 2 teaspoons for more prominent flavor, or 1 tablespoon for relatively spicy carrot-ginger flavor.
Curried carrot soup variation: Add some curry powder with the garlic and ground spices. Use 1 teaspoon (mild) or up to 2 teaspoons (somewhat spicy), depending on your preferences. For curried ginger soup, also add 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger at this time.
Thai curried carrot soup variation: Add Thai red curry paste with the garlic and ground spices (be sure to choose a vegan/vegetarian option if you’re avoiding fish produces, such as Thai Kitchen). Use 1 ½ teaspoons (mild) or up to 1 tablespoon (relatively spicy), depending on your preferences. Substitute lime juice for the lemon. You might like to garnish your bowls of soup with some chopped roasted peanuts and fresh cilantro leaves.
Make it dairy free/vegan: A few options. One, if you enjoy the flavor of the blended soup without butter, you can skip it altogether. For more richness, you could blend in a tablespoon of good olive oil or use cashews instead of butter. Soak ¼ cup cashews for 4 hours, then drain and rinse them (if you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, you can skip this). Add the cashews when you would add the butter.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This was delicious! I’m curious – You mentioned using water instead of broth for various reasons and you said “I’ll share my notes on this subject in greater detail soon.”. I can’t seem to find that anywhere. Have you posted this yet?
I haven’t, sorry! I found inconsistency between brands even so don’t have a post about it.
Hi. The soup was a great success. Absolutely delicious.. Thanks
Great to hear, Kathleen! I appreciate your review.
Hello Kate, First time I have ever tried one of your recipes and I absolutely LOVE this soup. Thank you for sharing it. I shared it on my Facebook page. So creamy and rich. I used 3 onions and 6 c. chicken broth (made from concentrate.)
Soooo good! I added minced ginger and curry powder. Yum!
Thank you for sharing, Jill!
YUM! I didn’t follow any variations, except I added only 1/2 tbl butter. So good! I’ll be making this one regularly.
That’s great to hear, Betty.
I am not a fan of carrots. That said, I love this soup. I made it with ginger for a bit of zing, and added more garlic. I was delighted!
Low in calories, high in flavor, and not very labor intensive. Also a lovely color to boot. Oh, I did not add the butter and used cider vinergar in place of the lemon, still delicious. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing, Maryann!
Super delicious soup! Saving forever ❤️
This soup is gorgeous! Made it exactly to recipe – yum!
I made this today, and added a little ginger. It is absolutely delicious!!
Great to hear, Tammy!
I made this today adding a little minced ginger. It is absolutely delicious and so easy!!
Hello, I made the Carrot Soup with Ginger. The ginger gave it a little kick that makes it extra good! I didn’t have any coriander so had to leave out. Will make again. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Lora!
Seriously one of the best soups I’ve ever made! Amazing recipe, so easy to prepare! The lemon and cumin add such wonderful subtle flavors. I can’t wait to try the variations.
This is my absolute favourite soup of wll soups ive tried and at restaurants. I could have it day and night. I added more lemon 2nd time around as I love the lemon taste, which isn’t totally obvious which is very nice but that little hint made me want more in my next batch. How this soup is so thick and creamy like without the cream is amazing!
That’s great to hear! Thank you for your review.
So good
Because I’m a big fan of herbs I roasted my carrots with rosemary and thyme.. oh my word.. even my “picky” husband loved this soup
Thank you
I honestly think I have made this recipe ten times this year- and it’s not even winter here in Australia yet!
It is my four year old daughter’s favourite, and her three 18mo sisters absolutely love it too, so we make it regularly- even if they make a big mess with it!
Thank you for sharing
This is delicious — definitely the best!
I’ve never once commented on a recipe I’ve used, but this was fantastic. We added more of just about everything spice-wise, but it is all around a delicious soup.
Excellent! Texture and taste were superb with easy prep. I made the version with vegetable broth (low sodium) and coriander/cumin/curry 1 tsp) …. I will try the ginger version next. I did not have a standard blender so I used a potato masher in the pot and then transferred to a high sided container and used a blending stick on turbo. Fast and effective.
I reheated in microwave and with no negative impact on texture.
I served with homemade cheese scones and a leafy salad.
Can this be frozen? I’m looking for ways to use the 50lbs of carrots I have on hand!
Hi Dawn, yes this is a great option to freeze. I hope you love it!
High praise for this recipe from friends and family. I took some of it to a friend with a cold, and she was so appreciative! It’s beautiful too.
This was delicious! I’ve made cream of carrot soup before, but I never had never roasted the vegetables. This definitely was the best. Thank you!
Also prepared the kale salad and dressing you suggested and came out great too.
Love this soup! I always keep it on hand for myself and eat it hot and cold (prefer it cold.) Have made it with stock and water and both give me great results. The only addition is adding a little honey while blending. Thanks so much for this recipe❤
This bright delicious soup made our night in chilly Melbourne Australia where carrots are $1 for 5 kilos. Thank you!
I love the ginger variety of this soup. I am taking it to an event on a hot day, and am wondering if you have ever served it cold? It seems like it would be delicious either way ..?
I haven’t tried it. Sorry! My The Ultimate Gazpacho would be a great option.
I am so sorry I found the nutrition facts with each recipe I can’t wait to try a few Thank you
I’m interested to know your thoughts on a soup broth as base or just water. These days, I’ve only been using water, allowing it to simmer in herbs and sautéed onions. Did you end up sharing your thoughts in a blog? Thank you!
If you like the result with water, I would suggest doing that.
This was delicious. Excellent recipe which I will make again. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
You’re welcome, Liz!
Hi Kate, this looks really good. I don’t have a stand mixer. Do you think I could use a food processor to blend the soup? also if you are taking this to someone to bring a meal, what would you suggest as an accompaniment (besides crusty bread :)
Sure, it just may not be quite as smooth. You can serve this with a side salad or a hearty salad.
This was delicious. I roasted my carrots in a cast iron skillet for some extra carmelisation. Also, I also cut up and roasted a sweet potato at mum’s suggestion to give even more creaminess to the soup and some flavor variation. I may reduce the salt or the broth next time as I think it was a tad salty for those who don’t eat much salt. Other than that, faithfully and it was superb. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Toria!
Soup amazing…..just harvested the carrots,
Onions and garlic from the allotment….perfect 5 stars…thank you
You’re welcome, Darren!
Gorgeous! I made the curried version.
Thank you for your review, Julie!
This soup is great. I made the Thai curry version. I am not vegetarian, so I used chicken stock for lack of veggie stock in the house and I added a splash of coconut milk because I love the flavour so much and i added the chopped coriander leaves into the soup instead of garnish. So amazing. So fast. So easy. Ideal for a busy working mom like me. Thank you for sharing your genius with the world.
The roasted carrot soup was EXCELLECT!
I love your other recipes as well
Thank you, Diane!
I followed your recipe and my soup was amazing.Thank u so much
You’re welcome, Paulina!
You keep saying toss the carrots. they are already on the baking sheet how can you toss them. How are you supposed to toss them half way through the cooking when they are hot and on the sheet?
Yes, you will want to toss them on the sheet. I hope that helps!
Thank you for this wonderful, easy & economical recipe. It was delicious & enjoyed by all family members.
You’re welcome, Eileen!
I harvested my crop of carrots 2 days ago. I made the carrot soup this morning with the Thai curry paste. Delish. Roasting the carrots adds an understated depth. Thanks for this great recipe
You’re welcome, Jeannie!
this is sooooo good thank you from Québec!
I made this soup for my husband who is recovering from tonsil cancer. He is struggling with reintroducing more items to his diet as taste is completely off or not what it should be. I left out the lemon juice as he struggles with pain from citrus. Today is day 3 of him having a 1c serving at lunch and enjoying it. Thank you for helping me help his nutrition and recovery ❤️
This was delicious. I swapped out the vegetable stock with homemade chicken stock and the flavors went really well together. The whole family loved it. I am not a huge cumin fan so next time I may try a dash of nutmeg instead of the cumin.
Love this soup, so delicious! I made a few tweaks. Added a whole oven roasted garlic and omitted the butter as well as the lemon juice. I also added more spices. Delicious and creamy. This is a definite keeper!
Great to hear you loved it, Natha!
I got some ugly organic carrots from a farm share – no two were the same size. But with this recipe, none of that mattered. It was delicious – I recommend a heavy hand with the curry powder.
Delicious. Added ginger and raw cashews. Really velvety texture and great flavor. Used water instead of broth
Great to hear, JS!
thank you for this recipe. I’m making it now and using 2 pounds of carrots that my husband boiled, hoping the flavor is equally great despite not having roasted them.
fingers crossed!
Amazing soup so thick creamy and so tasty ! Followed recipe exactly turned out best carrot soup ever !
Great to hear, Christine! I appreciate your review.
I made this once and it was amazing. Wanting to make it again but add some red lentils. Thoughts?
I’m not sure how that would be without trying it. Let me know if you try it!
I loved this recipe! Made it twice already and added some bell pepper to the bakin tray once the carrots were halfway done. For the second time, I also added a bit of leftover sweet potato to roast and both times I used some fresh thyme for roasting as well. I also added ginger both times and the amount is very very subtle, but I like it. Some tomato paste after adding the garlic and then a bit of white wine before adding the broth makes this soup smell and taste heavenly! I served it with some parmesan cheese and roasted pecans/almonds as a topping and some fresh bread or a grilled cheese sandwich.
Thank you for sharing how you made this, Vivien!
Just tried this recipe with my garden veggies…amazing soup. Family loves it.
Thank you
Made today and it’s just so delicious! It’s the roasting of the carrots that makes it so lovely.
Highly recommended.
Just harvested my carrots from the garden and used your recipe. Easy and delicious. I added curry.
Great to hear, Julie!
I made this for my daughter who has an early fall cold. She said it was tasty! I used my immersion blender as I was cooking 2 different dinners and didn’t want extra washing up. It came out watery. I don’t have a stand blender but a Cuisinart food processor. Would that have made it creamier? I don’t want another gadget taking up storage space ha ha!
Tasty soup! Comforting and nutritious. The Thai variation was so good!