Vegan Curried Carrot Soup

This vegan curried carrot soup is aromatic, creamy, and so comforting. Ready in just 45 minutes and made all in one pot, this soup couldn’t be easier or more delicious. Top with chopped peanuts, cilantro and a dash of sumac to bring it all together. 

About this vegan carrot soup

On their own, cooked carrots blend up into a silky-smooth soup. But add some canned coconut milk and the creamy factor increases significantly. Plus coconut milk and curry just jive.

Coconut milk adds a creamy decadence without any added dairy. If you don’t like coconut milk you can use a different unsweetened non-dairy milk, just keep in mind it likely won’t be as creamy. Cashew cream would also be a great option.

What you’ll need for this recipe: 

This carrot coconut curry soup features a simple ingredient list, but each one of those ingredients packs some punch.

• coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil (I prefer the flavor of coconut oil in this soup, but either work!)
• yellow onion
• carrots
• fresh ginger
• kosher salt
• high-quality curry powder (I prefer Simply Organic)
• vegetable broth (if you don’t need this to be vegan, you can use low-sodium chicken broth)
• canned coconut milk (if you don’t need this to vegan, you can also use half-and-half or whole milk)
• fresh lime juice
• for serving: fresh cilantro, chopped roasted and salted peanuts, and ground sumac

How to make curried carrot soup:

1. Cook onions, carrots and ginger in oil until starting to soften.
2. Add curry powder and cook for a couple of minutes to bloom the spices.
3. Add broth and simmer until carrots are tender. 
4. Purée soup using an immersion blender or in batches using a standard blender. 
5. Add blended soup back to pot and stir in coconut milk and lime juice.
6. Season the soup to taste with addition salt—this is so important! 
7. Serve soup with chopped peanuts, cilantro and sumac. Ground sumac adds a slight acidic tang which balances the flavors of the creamy carrot soup. 

Blending the soup

I recommend blending this carrot ginger soup with an immersion blender—it’s easy, efficient and creates less dirty dishes. If you don’t have one, use a high-powered blender to get the job done. If using a high-powered blender or standard blender, let the soup cool slightly before beling. Be sure to blend in batches to avoid any mess/explosion. 

Cooking with fresh ginger

Fresh ginger can be found in the produce section next to the garlic and shallots of most grocery stores. Choose ginger roots that are firm and without bruises or blemishes. 

To prepare ginger for cooking you’ll need to remove the thin skin. To remove the skin without wasting the flavorful flesh, use a spoon to scrape the skin off.  

A one-inch knob of fresh ginger adds the perfect spicy kick to this carrot ginger curry soup. Any more and it takes over in flavor. 

Variations on this carrot soup recipe:

• Use whole milk or half-and-half instead of coconut milk if you don’t need this to be vegan.
• Use parsnips in place of some of the carrots for a more earthy soup. 
• If you don’t have sumac (I recommend getting some!), you can top these bowls with some minced lime zest.
• If you’re a garlic lover, add some chopped garlic to the onion, carrots and ginger.
• If you don’t have curry powder on hand, try adding a heaping tablespoon of red curry paste.
• For added plant-based protein, add red lentils to the pot with the broth and cook until tender; blend as directed.

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If you give this Carrot Coconut Curry recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @zestful-kitchen on Instagram. I love hearing about and seeing your ZK creations!

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