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:
- Cook onions, carrots and ginger in oil until starting to soften.
- Add curry powder and cook for a couple of minutes to bloom the spices.
- Add broth and simmer until carrots are tender.
- Purée soup using an immersion blender or in batches using a standard blender.
- Add blended soup back to pot and stir in coconut milk and lime juice.
- Season the soup to taste with addition salt—this is so important!
- 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.
Vegetarian Soup Recipes You May Like…
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!
PrintVegan Curried Carrot Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 7 ½ cups (4 servings) 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Silky smooth, creamy, and full of aromatic flavors from curry powder and ginger, this Vegan Curried Carrot Soup is absolutely delicious. Even better, it comes together in just 45 minutes with less than 10 ingredients (though the toppings are highly encouraged!).
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)
- 2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks (about 5 cups)
- 1 (1-inch) knob ginger, peeled and chopped
- Kosher salt
- 4 teaspoons curry powder *
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (13.66 ounce) can coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Cilantro, chopped roasted and salted peanuts, and ground sumac for serving
Instructions
Heat a large pot of Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil, onion, carrots, ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt; stir to combine. Cook until starting to soften, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add curry powder and cook 2 minutes.
Stir in broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until softened, 10–15 minutes.
Purée soup using an immersion blender or in batches using a standard blender. Stir in milk and lime juice; season to taste with salt (I add about 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt).
Serve soup with cilantro, chopped peanuts and a dash of sumac.
Notes
Curry Powder: Use high-quality curry powder such as Simply Organic. If you have curry paste on hand, you can also use that. Or make your own curry powder by using 1 teaspoon each ground coriander, turmeric, and cumin plus a pinch of cayenne.
Coconut Milk: Full-fat canned coconut milk is best here, but you can also use lite. Don’t need this to be vegan? Use 1 cup half-and-half or whole milk. Alternatively, You can skip the adding any kind of milk altogether for a less creamy, slightly more sweet soup.
Vegetable Broth: low-sodium chicken broth will also work if you don’t need this to be vegan.
Ginger: if you love ginger, feel free to use a 1 ½-inch knob fresh ginger. I find 1-inch to be just right for most preferences.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: heaping 1 cup
- Calories: 184
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 577mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: carrot soup, vegan carrot soup, curried carrot soup
The recipe calls for lime juice, but I don’t see where to add it.
Sorry about that, just updated the recipe! The lime juice should be added at the end with the coconut milk. Thanks for pointing that out!