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
- Author:
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 bowls 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Various
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.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Monica
Ive never have carrot soup, but was quite surprised how good this turned out…I’m currently on a Drs orders food diet…. And received some free carrots that needed used up, so decided to find a soup recipe n try out this one.
I did the recipe as it is except did not add the lemon or lime juice and don’t care for pepper, but did add a few dashes since I know salt n pepper usually boost flavors.
I loved the mild smokey grilled like flavor it had from the roasted carrots and the sauteed onions were a nice touch.
After trying it, I was intrigued to add some Chicken powder broth as one mentioned. It gave it a completely different flavor… Wish I would’ve thought try some with the Beef powder broth,but now im excited that I have a simple easy versatile soup whenever we receive a bunch of carrots, which happens about once a month.
Thanks!
★★★★★
K Dub
Thank you! Great simple recipe. First cut, I went hard & doubled to recipe
Since I needed two trays, as I cut up the carrots, I grouped the larger pieces and started roasting them first (noting the longer cook time). Added dry/ground ginger to taste after blending.
Forgot about the butter and it was delish. Remembered the butter- game changer!
I’m not a master of the blender, but I think the technique to get a smoother consistency is to add the bulk of the liquid as a finisher.
★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it! I appreciate your review.
Amy Knight
Hi Kate!
Super excited to try this recipe! I have an opened can of coconut milk in my fridge that needs to be used up, and I’m wondering if I could maybe add it into the soup?
Thanks!
Kate
You could try my Thai Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Elizabeth
Absolutely. It would be amazing with the curried version.
Jeanne
This was delicious! I think the roasted carrots really brought a lot of depth to the soup. I little the onions cook down quite a bit and I added the 1T ginger, as well as a little curry powder along with the suggested spices. I used 6 cups of water with 4 tsp of Better Than Bouillon vegetable base. All six diners (2 vegetarians and 4 vey much not) raved about the soup. Thank you!
★★★★★
Steph
I made the curry variation + ginger and it was delicious!! It was thick so I added another cup of stock. It is warming with the spices, light, but surprisingly filling. I have a big bowl for lunch or I have a cup with dinner as the veggie side. My kids like it, too!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Steph!
Christine
I’ve made this several times now and it is my new favourite soup. It’s simple yet flavourful! Thanks for the great recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Christine!
Shelley Moreno
OMG. This soup is ridiculously good! Thank you for the extra tip to not use the hand blender. It came out superbly creamy in my Vitamix. I did modify it, and use my homemade chicken broth instead of vegetable broth. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Shelley! I appreciate your review.
Lisa
I made this with water rather than broth because I’m sick of having the same broth or bullion flavors running through my soups. It’s VERY good, but doesn’t have quite the depth that broth/stock adds, even with additional curry, but I’m far too lazy to make my own stock. Will try again with broth and will roast the carrots longer. Thank you! My grandmother used to make versions of this soup and a curried zucchini soup.
Gloria
This soup has now become a staple in my household. It’s absolutely delicious. I make the curry version. Thank you so much.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Gloria! I appreciate your review.
SAA
Hello. Do think it’d be alright to add some greens to this dish? If yes, which would you recommend? Thanks!
Kate
I suggest serving this with a salad on the side. Super Simple Arugula Salad.
pat
SAA – I ripped into pieces, the last few leaves of kale from my garden and added them to the soup after it was blended. They didn’t take long, simmering in the soup, to wilt enough for me. Delicious and healthier, too.
Kathie
Hi Kate,
I roasted 2 lbs of carrots in olive oil sprinkled with a bit of coriander and cumin.
I was getting ready to proceed with the soup. I tasted one of the carrots and they were so sweet and delicious I gave a bite to my husband. He agreed and started eating them off of the pan!! No carrot soup today. We are eating them as is!!!
I can’t wait to try your spaghetti Squash and Butternut Squash Recipes that came in your welcome email. So glad I found you!!
KATHIE
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Kathie!
Tina
This is a fantastic soup – vegetarian, easy and has so much flavor! I’ve tried a few of your recipes and this is my favorite so far. I used the Curry,ginger version and otherwise followed as is. Thank you and happy cooking.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you love it, Tina! I appreciate you sharing.
Ashiba
THIS WAS USEFUL, THX!
★★★★
Kate
Your’e welcome, Ashiba!
Margaret N Bowden
Best carrot soup !, This is a fantastic recipe. I made it for a friend undergoing chemo and unable to tolerate dairy. This was nutritious , flavourful and easily tolerated. My family loved it too!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! I’m excited you love it. Thank you for your review, Margaret.
toby RAYMAN
instead of lemon juice, try concentrated (from a can of frozen) orange juice, 1- 2 Tbsp, to taste. I keep a can in the freezer for all sorts of recipe additions, from salad dressings to muffins or banana bread and even stew.
Thai variation is great with a bit of coconut milk, (or yogurt or sour cream) added just before serving
Cliff
I have made this several times; it has wonderful flavors
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Cliff! Thank you for your review.
Jenn Swanson
I received the funniest video of my 18 month old grandson enjoying THREE servings of the ginger version of this soup. He and his parents were under the weather so I dropped off a container of this soup on their doorstep and the baby was SO busy spooning soup into his mouth that he wouldn’t even answer his Mama who kept asking if it was yummy! Too funny. I have saved this recipe and will be making it for all of us again, because clearly it was a hit! Thank you for such a delicious and versatile recipe. I plan to make it for our soup kitchen at church next.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Jenn. I’m glad it was a hit.
Margaret
Excellent! I harvested 3/4 of a bushel of carrots that had overwintered and needed to find some creative ways to use them. This was perfect with a salad for dinner. I want to make the Thai recipe with the remaining carrots. I used an immersion blender on the soup and it was perfect. I’ve enjoyed many of your recipes. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m glad you loved it, Margaret.
Orlena Lee
I love this carrot soup, it was perfect! I used non dairy salted oat butter and 1 cup of homemade chicken broth + 5 cups of water. The soup was so sweet and healthy. Thank you Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! Thank you for trying another recipe, Orlena.
Amy
Hi Kate,
Thank you for this delicious recipe! I have never quite loved carrot and ginger soup, but I have wanted to find a carrot soup I can enjoy. I made the curry version, and it was fantastic! A bonus is that carrots are so cheap at a time when all our other favourite veggies like mushrooms and broccoli are costly, so this one will really help our budget! So many of your recipes are on weekly rotation in our vego household, you are a real gem, so thanks again!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Amy! I’m excited to hear you enjoyed it.
Linda
This soup is so very tasty! I’ve made carrot soup before that was pretty bland. My husband was not excited, but now now tells everyone about “my” carrot soup. Thanks!
★★★★★
lucinda
Made this according to directions but the carrots did not blend down as excpected even in a food processor. They were tender coming out of the oven and nicely browned but ended up looking like oatmeal after blending. Tried using an immersion blender to get it smoother but still no luck. Good it be the type or quality of the carrots I used? So disappointed as it looks delicioius in the recipe.
Kate
I’m sorry to hear that. It can be the processor. I appreciate your feedback, Lucinda.
Anshula Ohri
Great recipe! The tip to roast the carrots made all the difference… thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Anshula!
Laura
This recipe is SO flavorful! I skipped out on the 2 cups of water since I had fewer carrots, and wow it made an impact! I’m already looking forward to making it again.
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Laura!
Jean
The only variation I used was to add my favorite spice, cinnamon and added some cooked rice. It was a meal. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Jean! I appreciate your review.
Rose
This was absolutely DELICIOUS! Thank you so much! My one note would be to use less liquid. I used about 3-4 cups total. Six cups would have made a very runny watery soup for our taste. So just a heads up if you don’t want a very watery soup — add extra liquid as you go!
Rachael
I think last night was the second time I made the recipe as-is, and both times, it has been a hit! This soup is so creamy and delicious; my husband just kept going “Mmmmm” as we ate. I love your recipes and this one is no exception. Thanks for all the healthy, veggie meal ideas and simple instructions!! Keep ‘em coming!!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m glad you love it.
Wayne Owens
I love the creamy roasted carrot soup. I have made it 3 times now & great each time. My first taste of carrot soup was in an airline lounge & I had it because there was nothing else. Otherwise I would not have chosen it. However I liked it & searched for a recipe & found yours. Totally different to what I had in the lounge but yummy. Thank you for it. Wayne. Australia
Sarah
This was delicious! I was a little worried when I put it all together on the stove because it looked like it was going to make a massive amount of soup, but the liquid cooked down nicely and the whole pot fit in my Vitamix for blending at the end. It was just as delish when I heated the leftovers.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Sarah! Thank you for your review.
CK
I was never a fan of carrots in a soup! But this recipe is excellent! It’s a game changer to roast the carrots in the oven before cooking. Absolutely fantastic!
★★★★★
Kate
I love to hear that, CK! Thank you for your review.
Tulip
This was amazing!
I halved the recipe but used the same amount of spices and garlic, just for personal taste, and used the curry powder as suggested!
I also made a little topping out of broccoli and bacon, with some of the lemon zest!
But the soup itself… oh my god. It was seriously delicious! So creamy and full of flavour. The roasted carrot flavour was absolutely divine. It was sweet, spiced, comforting and I really wish I hadn’t halved the recipe!! My wife was so sad when I said there was no leftovers. Man, even just writing this review got me hungry!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great it was such a hit! I appreciate you sharing, Tulip.
Eileen
Wow this soup was awesome, delicious and thick! I had to add a little more than 4 cups vegetable broth, otherwise it was too thick.
I did not add the lemon but I did add fresh basil and a lot of pepper and more garlic. Forgot about the butter but next time. Delicious!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing how you made it, Eileen! I appreciate your review.
Kathryn K Porteck
Could you use frozen carrots in this recipe?
Kate
You can try it! Let me know what you think, Kathryn.
Nicola Torrington
I added in more cumin and coriander, as well as some turmeric, fenugreek, and paprika (at least, I *thought* it was paprika, but i’m thinking it was cayenne – the soup is very spicy hot). Also added apple vinegar in lieu of lemon juice. And a dollop of sour cream at the end. Truly delicious.
~ I didn’t have any vegetable stock, so I used up a lot of wilting vegetables (no carrots, though) and made some
Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Nicola!
Alana
I made this soup today as I had lots of left over carrots and we are trying to reduce food wastage. It was surprisingly easy to make and delicious and creamy. I had half of a sweet potato and a red capsicum I had cutup and frozen, which I also added for extra veg. Served with toasted olive bread.
Great cost effective, healthy meal.
Highly recommended.
★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Alana!
Mary
Easy and so yummy. Great way to get children to eat their veggies. Roasting the carrots makes all the difference.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Mary!
Anne
If I wanted to make this vegan, what would you recommend substituting for the butter? I want to maintain the balance of flavor and creaminess
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Anne! I have vegan recommendations in the notes.
Shirley
This is the first time I’ve ever had and made carrot soup. I followed the recipe exactly but I did do some canning as well 5 jars two for my husband and I and 3 for my daughter. The soup was good different but good. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Shirley!
Ashley
So incredibly delicious!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear you enjoyed it, Ashley!
Jenn
This recipe has become a regular rotation in my house. I love making the Ginger variation for friends when they are under the weather.
A coupe small changes I make: I replace the olive oil with coconut oil and replace the water with coconut milk for an extra creamy soup with a hint of coconut that pairs well with the ginger flavour.
★★★★★
Marilyn
Soup is easy and delicious. I made with water and it was good. Super way to take advantage of your garden carrots!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Marilyn!
Angela
This soup was absolutely delicious! I added cumin, curry powder, coriander and ginger. Can’t wait to make it again!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Angela! I appreciate your review.
Jenna Williams
If I could give this 6 stars I would. I used 6C chicken stock instead of water and veggies broth and wow.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Jenna! Thank you for your review.
Josie
I would like to make this but I’m wondering if it can be frozen as I’d like to make lots of it
Joyce Sigler
Man! That’s delicious! That was our vegetarian son’s comment when he tasted the creamy carrot soup I made with your recipe. Next time I am going to add fresh grated ginger to the onions, but I cannot imagine it will be any better. It is SO CREAMY without Cream! This recipe is definitely a keeper! THANKS! Joyce Sigler
★★★★★
Dana Stefanik
I had never heard of carrot soup until I trying some from a pizza place. It was delicious and wanted to make it at home. Your version turned out just as good! The only thing I did differently was I added about 1/4 to 1/2 cup half and half at the very end after putting in the blender. I also topped each bowl with some croutons. Amazing!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your review, Dana!
Alex
Bomb.. super quick, 40 min tops for me, i roasted the carrots from our garden in the Oven @400 for 25 min, used a Red onion, and my fresh Thai basil and Garlic also only had chkn stock…
Turned out amazing! The Butter and Lemon made the soup at the end.. its so savory you need that little bit of acid.. thx!!
★★★★★
Suzanne Guerard
Sooooo good – All your recipies are excellent. Thank you !
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Suzanne!
Ryan
I just made this soup but used yellow curry paste (only curry paste i had). Also put a tiny bit of milk in at the end. Tastes great. Thanks.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Ryan!
Mc
After I finished all the steps and was ready to blend it, it does not look at all like the picture. I feel it needs to have some type of milk in order to have that texture. What gives it that creamy look?
Sharon
Hah! I thought the recipe read tossing half away. What the ? Tossing halfway is how it is written. Can’t wait to make this.
Kate
You want to toss the carrots halfway into the roasting section of the recipe. Does that help?
Linda Spartaco
Is there an Instant Pot/ pressure cooker variation?
Kate
I don’t have one, sorry!
elaine Sahady
★★★★★
Mary Thomas
I have made this soup before and really like it. I am not a fan of cumin or coriander so I left it out. I need something to give it a boost. could I add some white wine?
★★★★★
Gaylen Hoyt
Kate, this was amazing! Can’t thank you enough, huge hit with the family!!!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Gaylen! I appreciate your review.
Dave
Since it was my first-time making carrot soup, I used the basic recipe, which came out good. Next time, I am going to steam the carrots until they are tender/soft (not mush) then cut them in 1″ pieces and roast them using less oil by using a spray bottle. When I want to be a bit decadent, I add some light brown sugar.
I’m glad I found your site. Looking forward to trying more healthy recipes.
★★★★★
Trish
Thank you! This recipe is going in my favorite file.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Trish! Thank you for your review.