This carrot ginger soup is rich, creamy, and luxuriously silky-smooth, with a delicious balance of sweet and zesty flavors. It’s simple to make with just a handful of ingredients and is the perfect pick-me-up for a cold day!
Carrots are one of my favorite ingredients for adding a little brightness to a chilly day, especially after a long, cold winter. This time of year, I buy big bags of them at the store so I can whip up recipes like my vegan carrot cake and vegan carrot muffins. When I’m in the mood for something savory, it’s usually my carrot stew or Thai carrot soup.
But today, I’m sharing another soup starring carrots, and it’s perfect for those chilly days of early spring. This carrot ginger soup is like a bowl full of sunshine!
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I actually created this soup in an attempt to reverse engineer Whole Foods’ carrot ginger soup, which has long been one of my springtime favorites. But as often happens when I use this strategy to develop a recipe, I ended up with something I loved even more than the original!
This soup feels decadent — it’s thick, creamy, and luxuriously smooth. But it’s actually very simple, made with just a few ingredients. Sweet carrots are blended with coconut milk for richness, while a generous helping of fresh ginger adds a zippy kick. A touch of white pepper brings gentle heat and savory depth. This velvety soup is loaded with flavor and the perfect way to shake off any lingering winter blahs.
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.
- Vegetable oil. You're welcome to use any neutral high-heat oil you like. Peanut oil, corn oil, and coconut oil are all options!
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Ginger. We're using fresh ginger, and since it's the star ingredient, I highly recommend seeking out a good fresh hunk of ginger root. Look for roots that are firm and plump — avoid wrinkling, which indicates that your ginger has started to age and dry out. Your ginger should release a good amount of juice when you grate it.
- Vegetable broth.
- Carrots.
- Coconut milk. We're using full-fat coconut milk to create a super rich and creamy soup. Light coconut milk can be substituted if you'd like to reduce the fat and calorie content.
- White pepper. This will add savory notes to your soup and complement the zingy heat of the fresh ginger. Grocery stores carry it in the spice aisle. Black pepper will work in a pinch.
- Salt.
- Toppings. Totally optional, but as you can see, I love serving my soup with a drizzle of coconut milk and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and fresh cilantro.
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: Cook the onion. Heat up your oil in a large pot, then add diced onion. Cook the onion for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, just until it begins to soften.
Step 2: Cook the garlic and ginger. Add minced garlic and freshly grated ginger. Stir them in with the onion, then briefly cook the mixture, stirring constantly.
Step 3: Simmer. Stir in sliced carrots and broth. Turn up the heat, get the broth to a boil, then lower it and let the soup simmer until the carrots are nicely softened.
Step 4: Blend. Blend up the soup until it's completely smooth and creamy. I'm using an immersion blender, but a regular blender also works.
Step 5: Finish the soup. Stir in your coconut milk and white pepper, then season the soup with salt to taste. You can heat it back up a bit at this point if it's cooled down too much.
Step 6: Serve. Your carrot ginger soup is ready to enjoy! Ladle it into bowls, and, if you like, pile on some toppings. I'm serving mine with a drizzle of coconut milk, fresh cilantro, and sesame seeds.
Variations
- Add citrusy notes. Stir in a little orange, lemon, or lime juice, along with some zest. Keep the juice to a tablespoon or two, especially if you're using lemon or lime, which can quickly turn the soup sour.
- Warming spices. Stir in some ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or cloves.
- Sesame carrot soup. Stir in a teaspoon or two of toasted sesame oil to give your soup a nutty, Asian-inspired flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep! The recipe as written includes no gluten-containing ingredients.
Leftover carrot ginger soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about four days, or in the freezer for about three months.
This soup goes great with a green salad. If you want to keep the carrot ginger vibes going, try it with my Japanese salad with carrot ginger dressing. I also love it with some crusty bread or a square of my vegetable focaccia. To add some protein to your meal, try my sesame ginger marinated tofu.
More Creamy Vegan Soups
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 2 pounds carrots, sliced
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon white pepper (or to taste)
- Salt, to taste
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. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger. Cook the mixture for about a minute, stirring constantly, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Add the broth and carrots. Raise the heat to high and bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are very soft.
- Take the pot off the heat. Blend the soup until completely smooth. You can use an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a conventional blender, blend, then return it to the pot. Always use caution when blending hot liquids.
- Stir in the coconut milk and white pepper. Season the soup with salt to taste. If it has cooled down too much at this point, briefly warm it back up on the stove.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
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Delicious and creamy - a perfect spring reset soup!