Name: Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 people
Ingredients: 2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces; 2 tablespoon ginger, sliced; 1 tablespoon garlic, sliced; 1 small yellow onion, chopped; 5 cups chicken broth; 6 basil leaves; 1 sprig of fresh thyme; 3 tablespoon heavy cream; 1-2 teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 teaspoon pepper; 2 tbsp olive oil; croutons for serving; lemon slices

This is one of my son's absolute favorite meals. This delicious Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup is perfect for the cold weather and has all the right flavors for when you're feeling under the weather.

Roasted Carrot ginger soup in dutch oven and bowl, topped with crutons, thyme, and basil

If you like a good vegetable soup you may also likeClassic Italian Minestrone, The Creamy Mushroom Mascarpone Soup, orWhite Bean Lentil Soup

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Why this Recipe?

This roasted carrot ginger soup was born out of necessity. Our family makes soup so often and we never know what to do with the bag of carrots that we have left over after chopping up two carrots. So we got a little creative and came up with this delicious recipe.

It's not always easy to get the whole family on the same page when it comes to eating vegetables so this was a great soup addition to our menu and goes great with some of our sandwiches likeMy Big Fat Greek Chicken Burger or our Mediterranean Chicken Wrap.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Carrots. Don't use baby carrots. I hope everyone knows that. It's important to use fresh ingredients, though. We use fresh vegetables in most of our soups, like Homemade Roasted Red Pepper Soup.

Chicken Broth. Vegetable broth can be substituted in this dish. I just prefer the flavor of chicken broth. Usually, I keep homemade chicken broth in the freezer so it's easy to just pull out.

Heavy Cream. You can substitute coconut milk or leave this out altogether. Substituting the coconut milk and the vegetable broth will make this dish vegan if you're into that.

*Please see recipe card below for more information on ingredients.

Equipment you will need

You'll need a food processor or blender. The food processor is necessary to blend the carrots.

It would be helpful to also have an immersion blender. You could get away with not using an immersion blender, but it's really helpful when combining the broth and pureed carrots into soup.

Step-by-Step Directions

Step 1: Start by preheating the oven to 425° F.

Step 2: Peel and chop the carrots into 2-inch pieces. Toss them in olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Arrange them on a baking sheet so that they are separated by 1 inch.

Step 3: Roast them in the oven for 20 minutes, turning them after 10 minutes. Then turn on the broiler for 5 minutes turning them every minute and a half.

Step 4: Add them to a food processor along with 1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth. Blend them until they are completely smooth and set aside.

Step 5: In a dutch oven, heat olive oil to medium heat. Stir in onions and saute until they are translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Once the onions have softened add the ginger and garlic and saute, stirring often for 2-3 minutes.

Step 6: Add in the remaining broth, raise too medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower to a simmer, add thyme and basil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Then pour in the pureed carrots.

Step 7: Use the immersion blender to mix the pureed carrots with the chicken broth.Bring the soup to a low simmer again for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pot from the heat and then stir in the heavy cream and remove the thyme.

Step 8: Add a squeeze of lemon juice and serve with croutons.

Carrot soup is a great side soup and the perfect way to get vegetables in. Our son loved this soup but he won't ever eat carrots.

Pro-Tip

Broiling the carrots will bring out the sweetness in the carrots. DON'T STEAM THEM. Unless you want bland soup. This is a necessary step to balance the flavor of the soup. Definitely roast the carrots. You should get a nice little char and bubbling on the carrots. This will caramelize the sugars in carrots and make them sweeter. I learned this from the first chef I ever worked for. I use the same technique for Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Sausage.
It is okay to just whisk the pureed carrot into the soup but this will leave onions, ginger, and garlic chunks in the soup which will affect the texture. The taste will be the same but if you're a texture person, you have to use the immersion blender to get the best texture.

roasted carrot ginger soup topped with thyme

Recipe FAQs

Why are my carrots flavorless?

Because you need to broil them! Scroll up to my Pro-Tip for an explanation of why!

Do I have to add heavy cream?

No, it is not necessary. It does make it a bit creamier. You can substitute cashew cream or coconut milk.

Why is my Carrot soup bland?

You need to balance out the soup with some acidity like the lemon juice in my recipe. You could also use lime juice or apple cider vinegar.

This is such a great delicious soup. It is unbelievably tasty and the ginger adds the perfect spice. Don't be afraid to try it with your kids. The sweetness from the carrots being broiled makes it a great vegetable side for kids!