This luscious carrot soup is made with creamy coconut milk and spicy red curry paste. It's super comforting, easy to make, and packs a flavor punch!
Carrot soup is a deceiving one. I'll admit, it's not the most exciting sounding dish. But it's actually really delicious! This is a soup that blends up silky smooth and has a subtly sweet flavor.
There are lots of ways to enhance that flavor. North African spices are an old favorite of mine. Thai spices are my new favorite!
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What You'll Need
- Oil. Any type of high heat oil will work! I like peanut oil for this recipe, but coconut, vegetable, or canola oil would also be good choices.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Red curry paste. Check the ingredients to ensure the brand you use is vegan — many contain fish sauce or shrimp paste. Thai Kitchen is a nice vegan brand to use for a milder soup, and Maesri is a good one if you'd like your soup to have more heat.
- Carrots.
- Coconut milk. Use the kind from a can, and preferably full-fat.
- Vegetable broth. I like Better Than Bouillon in roasted vegetable flavor.
- Lime juice.
- Salt.
- Toppings. These are optional, but I'm a big fan of this soup with chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro on top.
How to Make Carrot Soup
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd prefer to skip right to the recipe!
- Heat up your oil in a large pot. When it's nice and hot, add diced onion. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring it frequently, until it becomes soft and translucent.
- Stir in minced garlic and some curry paste. Cook these ingredients with the onion for 1 to 2 minutes. Continue stirring frequently to avoid burning.
- Stir in the chopped carrots, coconut milk, and broth. Crank up the heat and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Lower the heat and let your soup simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the carrots are soft.
- Blend your soup. I like to transfer my soup to a blender, because this helps it get super smooth, but you could also leave it in the pot and use an immersion blender if you prefer. Either way, be sure to use caution when blending hot liquids!
- If you transferred your soup to a blender, pour it back in the pot.
- Optionally, thin your soup with some additional broth or water. You can also heat it back up if it cooled down too much during blending.
- Stir in some lime juice and season the soup with salt to taste.
- Ladle your soup into bowls and pile on the toppings.
Carrot Soup Tips & FAQ
- Is this soup gluten-free? It is!
- Shelf-life & storage: Carrot soup will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
- Can I use a variety of curry paste other than red? I've only tested the recipe with red, but I can't see why others wouldn't work! I have a feeling the soup would be particularly delicious with massaman or panang curry paste.
- Can I substitute another variety of milk for coconut? You could, but I don't recommend it, because much of the flavor in Thai curries comes from the coconut milk. You could probably get away with using light coconut milk (the canned variety) if you're trying to reduce the soup's calorie content.
More Creamy Vegan Soups
- Creamy Vegan Tomato Bisque
- Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Easy Vegan Pumpkin Soup
- Sweet Potato Soup
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Thai Carrot Soup
This luscious carrot soup is made with creamy coconut milk and spicy red curry paste. It's super comforting, easy to make, and packs a flavor punch!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or another high-heat oil)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste (or to taste)
- 1 ½ pounds chopped carrots
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk
- 2 cups vegetable broth, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, or to taste
- Toppings of choice, such as chopped peanuts and cilantro
Instructions
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Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat.
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Once the oil is hot, add the onion. Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until it becomes soft and translucent.
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Stir in the garlic and curry paste. Cook everything for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture becomes very fragrant.
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Stir in the carrots, coconut milk, and 2 cups of broth. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil.
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Lower the heat and simmer the soup for 15 to 20 minutes, until the carrots are soft.
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Blend the soup either using an immersion blender or by transferring it to a blender (in batches if needed). Use caution when blending hot liquids.
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Return the soup to the pot if you removed it. Thin the soup with additional broth or water if desired. Season the soup with lime juice and salt to taste.
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Reheat the soup if it cooled down too much.
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Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
I know that coconut milk will make things creamer but due to the high fat content I don't use. Anything for substitution that can make it creamy?
You could try cashew milk.
I made this today and it is delicious! I upped the garlic a bit and added four Thai chilis with it, then used coconut cream and added a Tbs of vegan fish sauce with the lime
juice in lieu of salt. Outstanding and easy! Thanks for the recipe!
What would I serve this with?
Last time I made it we had it with these tofu dumplings: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/smoky-tofu-dumplings-with-sweet-chili-dipping-sauce/ It would also be good with some jasmine rice - I'm a big fan of this coconut rice: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/coconut-rice/
I made this yesterday to take to my mum's for dinner, Alissa, and it was super delicious. Quick too! I used baby carrots that were accidentally frozen and no longer suitable for snacking—your recipe saved them from the compost in the best possible way. Thank you!