You'll be amazed at how hearty, flavorful, and satisfying this carrot stew is! It's thick, rich, and full of delicious seasonings like fresh ginger and spices. This meal-worthy stew is also super easy to make, and perfect for dinner with some rice or crusty bread!
This carrot stew will surprise you. It's really filling and super satisfying, which isn't something I'd normally expect from a stew made almost entirely from pureed veggies. Trust me though — I've actually been making this one for years, and served it to company on many occasions. People frequently ask for the recipe, and nobody goes home hungry!
Jump to:
I adapted this creation from a recipe found in Fields of Greens. I received that book as a gift, not too long after I first gave up meat, from my step grandmother, who was herself a vegetarian during her younger years. The cookbook is over thirty years old at this point, but it contains some great recipes, and for me it's a gift that I'll treasure forever.
My step grandmother was always so supportive of my choices and encouraged me to march to the beat of my own drum, so this recipe is really special to me, and I always think of her when I make it!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
Carrots are such a delicious and under appreciated veggie. When you get them fresh (like, really, really fresh!), they're super sweet and flavorful. That wonderful sweet flavor pairs so nicely with the warming north African spices you'll find in this dish.
Also, it is so hearty! If you love my Thai carrot soup or parsnip soup, but don't quite find either of these recipes meal-worthy, give this stew a try. You'll be surprised at how much it fills you up!
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Olive oil. You can use another high-heat oil if you'd like, such as canola or peanut oil.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Ginger.
- Spices. You'll need ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cardamom. You can get them all in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.
- Vegetable broth.
- Carrots. Use carrots that are fresh! They should be plump, bright in color, and firm. These carrots will be sweet and flavorful.
- Sweet potato. A regular white potato will also work, although your stew won't be as sweet.
- Orange juice. Be careful! Not all orange juice is vegan. Look out for ingredients like fish oil and vitamin D3. When in doubt, use freshly squeezed juice!
- Brown sugar. Use organic brown sugar to keep the recipe vegan, or substitute coconut or turbinado sugar.
- Sriracha sauce. Only use this if you'd like to add some heat to the stew.
- Salt.
- Fresh cilantro. Not a cilantro person? Skip it!
- Chopped peanuts. Be careful here too. Peanuts are another one that might contain some sneaky non-vegan ingredients like gelatin. Check the label before you buy.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Start by heating your oil in a large pot, then adding diced onion. Cook the onion for a few minutes, just to start softening it up.
Step 2: Stir in some minced garlic, freshly grated ginger, and all of your spices. Cook everything briefly, making sure to stir the mixture constantly so the spices don't burn.
Step 3: Stir in the broth, sliced carrots, and chopped sweet potato. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer just until the veggies are soft.
Step 4: Blend it up! I like to use an immersion blender, but if you don't have one, simply transfer the stew to a blender or food processor.
Tip: Do you like your stew a bit chunky? Feel free to just partially blend it. Either stop before it's smooth, or ladle some out ahead of time, then add it back to the pot when you're done blending.
Step 5: Stir in the orang juice, brown sugar, and sriracha sauce. You can also season the stew with some salt to taste at this point.
Step 6: Your carrot stew is basically finished, but it has probably cooled down a bit. Heat it back up on the stove, and it's ready to go!
Step 7: Ladle your carrot stew into bowls and top each one with some fresh cilantro and chopped peanuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
It sure is!
Leftover carrot stew will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days, or in the freezer for about three months.
I generally enjoy it with some crusty bread or rice. Basmati rice goes particularly well with this dish. Some non-dairy yogurt makes a nice topping, especially if you added extra sriracha sauce. If you'd like to add some protein to your meal, try some tofu bacon or tempeh bacon.
More Hearty Vegan Stews
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Gingery Carrot Stew with Peanuts and Cilantro
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 2 pounds carrots, sliced
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced (1-inch)
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce, or to taste
- Salt, to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ cup roasted and salted peanuts, chopped
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onion. Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften up.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cardamom. Cook the mixture for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Stir in the broth, carrots and sweet potato. Raise the heat to high and bring the broth to a boil, then lower the heat and let the stew cook at a simmer for about 20 minutes, until the carrots and sweet potato are soft.
- Blend the stew. You can either do this using an immersion blender, or by carefully transferring it to a food processor or blender in batches. Always be careful when blending hot liquids.
- Return the stew to the pot if you removed it, then stir in the orange juice. You can also thin the stew with additional broth or water at this point, if you'd like (although I prefer it thick). Stir in the brown sugar, sriracha sauce, and salt.
- Heat the stew back up for a few minutes if it has cooled down too much.
- Ladle the stew into bowls, and to each with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and peanuts before serving.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
This is delicious and incredibly healthy. I am not a vegetarian and I find this soup so satisfying. I added a scoop of plain yogurt to my bowl of soup and it enhanced and evened out the spice. Thank you for such a fabulous recipe.