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 looks amazing! Hoping to make it tonight. Just double checking – we need 6 cups of liquid, correct?
Hi Cecilia! Yes, 6 cups is correct.
Love this recipe! I use organic baby carrots so I don’t have to peel and chop. I also used unsalted Earth Balance to make it vegan. A+
HUGE fan of this recipe! I had to improvise in a few spots but I will definitely be making it again! I made the Curry version but didn’t have lime and I had to use an immersion blender, so it wasn’t as creamy but I am always up for a touch of texture. My boyfriend asked me to save him some but I’m not sure it will last because I can’t stop eating it. I’m going to have to make it again just for him.
First time ever making this and I have to say it’s pretty good. Definitely doesn’t beat my mother’s but it came close to it. I didn’t add the ground cumin or coliander because I didn’t have it but I think it came out good despite that. I added too much lemon but that was because I didn’t measure it out just did it to my liking and accidentally went overboard with it. 10/10 recommend
I’m glad you were still able to enjoy it, Luica! I appreciate your review.
One of the best carrot soups I ever made. Thanks Kate!
Just checking, can we store this soup in the refrigerator and serve later?
If yes, for how many days ?
Hi! Yes, it’s great as leftover. See the final step in the instructions.
This soup is divine! I used some homemade bone broth and upped the spices and garlic cause I like an in-your-face flavor. It was delicious. Excellent recipe and loved the variation options. I added some ginger as well per the suggestion and loved it. Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Hey I made this adding curry powder and fresh ginger. One of the best soups of my life, my boyfriend loves it too. Thank you for this. Gonna try it with cashews instead of butter soon :).
Superlative. I like carrot soup alright, but generally not on my list of things to make at home. Had some extra carrots around that would best be made into soup so did a random search and stumbled upon your recipe. I’d say it was a transformative experience in terms of my carrot soup view. Best I can figure it was the roasting which really made it stand out. I used the butter of course along with “Better than Bullion” broth. I also did the curry/ginger version. Couldn’t get enough of this. I will be making for dinner parties.
I’m happy you stumbled and enjoyed, Stephen! Thank you for your review.
I did the exact same thing but added some other spices and made a few tweaks. I added goya chicken seasoning to taste, 3 fresh Thai red chili pepper, and 2 fresh habanero pepper (Warning! This Is spicy) I also used 1/2 cup of chicken stock and 1 1/2 cups of water. I also added 1 tsp of Indian chili powder. I paired it with jasmine rice, tandoori chicken, and fresh garden salad. It turned out amazing, but watch out for the heat.
I made this tonight in Ninja cooker. Made 14 cups total used Vitamix mixer. Soup is smooth and delicious. Roasted carrot flavor is the bomb.
Thank you soon much!!
This soup is simply delicious! I have made it for family and friends. They are all amazed at how much they like it. Carrot soup? Yeah, man!!! I am going to make the soup with ginger right now. . .
I cant eat lemon juice (or any citrus) so I’m leaving it out. Would you recommend trying something else in it’s place?
Hi! You can omit it. It does liven up the soup, but it will still be good without it. Enjoy!
Could try Apple Cider Vinegar instead of Lemon Juice.
I adore this soup and make it monthly. I found another good substitution if you’d like it to be vegan is a tablespoon of coconut oil to replace the butter.
Made it on Easter and it was simple and delicious! Paired nicely with a little bit of white truffle oil and fresh bread. Thanks
That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing, Jack.
Well, I wasn’t sure about carrot soup, since I had tried it before with a different recipe, but since I ended up with too many carrots in the fridge I thought I would give this recipe a try. Wow! This is so good and full of flavor. I added the curry powder and lots of fresh ginger. Yum. I can see where the red Thai curry paste would be good as well. I’m sure roasting the carrots makes the big difference.
Thanks for another great recipe!
You’re welcome, Paul! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
I made this today, and my taste tester (husband) is enthused. I used some grated ginger and red thai curry powder, plus lime juice. looking very good. Two quick questions for you or others who have made it:
1. Would roasting the onion be a good idea, or not?
2. What about increasing consistency with a few baby potatoes when I add the broth and water? We do like potato thai curry, thinking it might be good?
Hi! I really like this best as is. But, I’m intrigued by your creativity!
I added a small potato and 1/2 cup of red lentils and cooked it in the instant pot.
The lentils disintegrated nicely and added extra protein and finer. The soup seems to be thicker with added on potato & lentils.
I love this soup! I have made it 5 times in the last 3 months. Last time i added cauliflower too.
Yummy! I can’t help but play with spices either. Changed it up to lemongrass thai curry and added a couple of birds eye peppers for heat.
Lime juice at the end with cilantro.
If you like some heat on your soup you have to try this version.
This soup is DELICIOUS! It’s been a requested soup at our family sunday night suppers. This past weekend I accidently left out the lemon juice and butter steps and it was still delicious and creamy. It is a crowd pleaser, impressive and easy to make! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thank you! I’m happy you loved it, Victoria.
I am just suggesting if someone needed to lower the sodium content they could still use broth just use no salt added broth it has hardly any sodium in it. Or even use a reduced-sodium broth they are both good options and you could replace salt with Morton Lite Salt which has half the sodium of regular table salt!
Hi! Can I make this soup with baby carrots?
Hi Naomi, sure that should work. Just be sure to use the same weight for the recipe. I hope you love it!
Made the curry version and double the recipe to freeze because I knew it would be a hit. My family absolutely loved this soup, so glad to have a dish that’s both healthy and tasty! The texture is AMAZING!!! Thanks Katie!
That’s great to hear, Hannah! I’m delighted you enjoyed it. I appreciate your review.
Roasted carrot soup with curry powder , ginger and a few dashes of Tabasco outstanding.
Be careful to slice carrots evenly or some be charcoal pieces before others are ready.
Very easy to make and sooo tasty!
I’m happy you like it, Adina! I appreciate your review.
I made the curry with ginger variation. It was good! I added fresh kale from the garden before emulsifying.
Also added a TBSP of apple cider vinegar and a dash of spicy garlic salt, habanero salt. Definitely opens your sinuses.
Served with feta cheese crumbles sprinkled on top.
Feta on top sounds delicious! Thank you for your review, Arend!
I made this today. The ginger variation. I ended up switching the 2cups water for almond milk and added a little ground ginger in addition to the fresh. I also did not peel my carrots, but washed them instead. My soup is a little grainy but I imagine this is to due to my blender. I loved this and will absolutely make again.
Wonderful! I skipped butter to finish & substituted a 4 oz. block of cream cheese. I will definitely make again.
What a great recipe! I’m vegan so I sub butter with unsalted Earth Balance. I also add a few pinches of red pepper flakes to bloom with the other spices for some heat.
Looks so good!! Can’t wait to make (and more importantly eat) this! Does omitting/substituting the butter impact the flavour? Thanks! x
Hi! It doesn’t quiet get that deliciously creamy flavor, but I know others have enjoyed it without as well.
I see, thanks so much!
Thrilled with this easy, wholesome soup – it boasts mighty big flavours for its simplicity. Did the curried with fresh ginger version for the fam, who agreed it was at least as good as anything we’ve had in our favourite cafes! Thank you so much–we’ll be making this again.
You’re welcome, Chelsea! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
The curried carrot version is SO good. I roasted the garlic whole and blended it with everything else. I also added a dollop of yogurt when serving.
Thank you for sharing, Holly!
This was so great! Can I freeze?
Wonderful! Yes, this one can freeze.
Delicious. Used the carrots from my CSA box. I tried the Thai curried carrot soup variation. The lime and cilantro added at the end makes all the flavors come together.
Just made this and it is the BEST carrot soup I’ve ever tasted- period! Grant it, I’ve only ever had carrot soup once, and it wasn’t good, but my husband liked it and asked me to make it. I used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth and made the curried ginger variation. I will be making this again and again and again. Do yourself a favor and make this and get your whole life!
Thank you, Kishia!
Love that my soup turned out looking just like your pic….and it’s delicious! Thank you!
This soup is the best thing I’ve made this year! I’ve used vegetable stock and coconut cream and it is mind blowing!
Absolutely love your recipes, Kate!
Wow! This carrot soup was fantastic! I’ve made carrot soup before, but roasting the carrots made a huge difference in the flavor. Silky smooth and rich. I used fresh ginger and curry…delicious! Definitely going to make this again.
It turns out amazing.. everyone loved it
Thankyou
You’re welcome! I’m happy it as a hit with everyone.
Wow this is so tasty. My new favorite soup. I’ve frozen lots for lunches. Thanks for another great recipe.
I had carrots in the fridge to use up and came across your soup recipe. The reviews were not wrong – one of the most delicious carrot soups I have every had and even my picky daughter loved it and asked if she could take it for her school lunch tomorrow! I made the curry version and I did a taste test before adding the butter and lemon juice as well as after and the addition of those two simple ingredients definitely brightened the flavour (I used Earth Balance vegan butter). Roasting the carrots is key to creating the depth of flavour this soup delivers! Thanks for posting such a wonderful and easy carrot soup recipe!
Thank you, Mo! I’m glad you agreed.
A lovely soup! My husband, who doesn’t like carrot soup, thought it was good, too.
My tweaks: My husband has IBS, and can’t tolerate garlic or onions. Also, it’s mid-June and too hot to turn on the oven. So I used garlic olive oil instead of plain and roasted my carrots in my Actifry for about 40 minutes. Then I put them in a pot with water, and used rosemary and oregano instead of cumin and coriander, as our family isn’t crazy about those flavors in particular. Once cooked, I blended and served it with biscuits and it was a hit! My 8yo raved about how much he liked it. In a houseful of autistic people with texture and taste restrictions, it’s a delight to find a meal we can all agree on! <3
Hooray! Thanks for sharing your tweaks. I know others will find it helpful!
Delicious recipe and not difficult to make. Loved it.
Wonderful, Astra! I appreciate your review.
Delicious! But, if you want to take the Thai version to the next level, add a bit of roasted chunky peanut butter!
Thanks for sharing how you changed it up, Pat!
This is the best soup I’ve ever made! Thanks for sharing it.
Just made and it is sooooooo good
So delicious! I gave half of the soup to my parents and my mom just LOVED it!
The first time I made it I accidently used Beef broth instead of vegetable broth haha! (I thought the broth looked a little dark!) Turned out very yummy!
I have since made it again with the vegetable broth and I think I prefer the beef broth. Either way you have a winner!
Served it with a hard crust bread.
Your website is my go to for recipes!!
I’m glad you ended up enjoying it! Thank you for your review.
The curry ginger variation has turned into a weekly recipe for us! It even has our 2-year old’s seal of approval- she loves it. I plan to add red lentils for extra protein next week.
I love that this is a weekly recipe for you, Ashley. I appreciate your review.
Wow! Been trying to get into making soups for batch cooking and stumbled on this recipe! It is amazing!
Will definitely make again!
That’s great, Beth! Thank you for sharing.
Just made this and love it! I added fresh ginger to the carrots while roasting. Once done and in my soup bowl, I added a scoop of plain, non fat Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of garam masala to give it that Indian tweak I’ve grown to love. I’ll definitely make this again!
Sounds delicious, Susan. Thank you for your review!
The spice additions make this really good. I had found a recipe I wanted to try but it sounded kind of bland .. then found this one. I also wanted to use the Instant Pot. So .. I didn’t make the recipe exactly like it was written but I added the 1-1/2# of carrots – just browned slightly in pot (would have been much yummier if roasted). I used 3/4 teas. coriander, 1/2 teas. cumin, 3 Tbsp. fresh ginger, 1/2 teas. curry powder and 1/2 teas. garam masala. Really good! Thank you!
The curry ginger version is AMAZING!!!!
Thank you, Katie!
I chanced upon this page when I was looking to cook up a bag of baby carrots that I would have to throw away otherwise. The only change that I added was sautéing some whole black peppers and whole cloves before the onions and then used pecans instead of butter . It is amazing!! I have to say that I would probably be repeating this recipe frequently .BTW this was your curry recipe!! Absolutely delicious!!!
I’m glad you came to this recipe! Thank you for your comment.
FINALLY A carrot soup that doesn’t include ginger! Had a lot of carrots given to me and I was trying to figure out what I could do with them. I made this recipe exactly as written and it is really good. In fact my husband had two helpings. Definitely will be making it again
Creamy roasted carrot soup,
Sensational to say the least!
Will definitely keep this and make again
This recipe is simply amazing!
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Funbi! I appreciate you letting know.
fabulous! I have made this twice now. No corriander so left that out twice. Did add the ginger 1/2 tsp dried.
FABULOUS!