soups are our comfort food and i make them with various veggies. i have shared many soup recipes earlier and i will be sharing a few more. i have also shared a variation of carrot soup with ginger – carrot ginger soup.

this carrot soup is the one which i make either with orange carrots or red carrots. sometimes i make the soup in the instant pot. in the recipe card, i have mentioned details on making the soup in the instant pot.

about this carrot soup

1. one-pot method: sauté and cook everything in a pot. makes the method of making the soup very easy.

2. flavor profile: the ingredients used in the recipe match the flavor profile of the carrots. the earthy flavor of carrot is balanced with the sweetness of onions, slight pungency of garlic, the herbal aromatic flavor of celery stems and the warm flavors of cumin.

3. cooking method: can be made on stove-top as well as in an instant-pot and even in a pressure cooker.

4. stock vs water: vegetable stock can be replaced with water and vice versa. though i must say that a homemade vegetable stock imparts a complex yet lovely taste to the soup.

5. consistency and taste: creamy, smooth and thick. sweetish tasting soup with hints of sourness from the lemon.

6. dietary considerations: vegan, gluten-free.

How to make carrot soup

1. in a thick bottomed pan or pot, heat 1 tablespoon sunflower or olive oil. add ½ cup chopped onions and ½ teaspoon chopped garlic.

2. sauté on a low to medium-low flame till the onions soften.

3. add 2.25 cups chopped carrots and 2 tablespoons chopped celery.

4. sprinkle ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and ½ teaspoon salt or add as per taste.

5. mix well.

6. pour 2.5 cups vegetable stock or water. i have here added homemade vegetable stock. even water can be added instead of a veggie stock.

7. stir and mix again.

8. cover the pot with a lid. simmer on a low or medium-low flame till the carrots become tender.

9. when simmering, do check a couple of times to see if the liquids have dried or not. if the liquids have dried, then add ¼ to ½ cup more of hot veg stock or hot water.

10. check a few pieces of carrots with a fork or knife. the fork or knife should be able to pass easily from the carrots.

11. after the carrots are cooked, switch off the flame. there will be some liquid in the mixture. let this liquid remain as we will use the liquids when blending the carrots. let the soup mixture become warm or less hot.

12. add the entire mixture with the liquids in a blender or grinder. you can even use an immersion blender to blend the carrots.

13. blend to a smooth puree. while blending, add ¼ to ½ cup water depending on the thickness you prefer in the soup.

14. place the entire pureed carrots in the same pan or pot.

15. keep the pan on the stove-top and simmer till the soup gets hot. stir at intervals. if the carrot soup looks thick, then you can add some more hot water.

16. when the soup becomes hot, season with ¼ to ½ freshly crushed black pepper and 1 to 2 teaspoons of chopped parsley. mix well and switch off the flame. instead of parsley, you can even use fresh cilantro leaves (coriander leaves).

17. this is an optional step. for some faint sour notes in the soup, you can add ¼ teaspoon lemon juice. i feel lemon juice slightly balances the earthiness and sweetness of carrots. but if you are not fond of any tangy or sour taste in a bowl of carrot soup, you can skip this step. any leftover soup can be refrigerated and then warmed up before serving. if the soup becomes very thick, then add some water and reheat it.

18. serve carrot soup in bowls or mugs. garnish with some parsley or cilantro (coriander leaves). top with some bread croutons if you like. bread croutons really taste good in this soup. to make croutons just toast a 1 or 2-day old bread or baguette in the oven or on a skillet (tawa). when toasted chop them in cubes. enjoy a comforting creamy carrot soup.

More soup recipes