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Hi there- Alison again with another veggie- filled bowl of yummy-ness!
This Carrot Ginger Soup is velvety smooth and PACKED with healthy ingredients and can be served hot or cold, so it’s perfect any time of year!
There’s a whole pound and a half of carrots in this recipe, with only four servings. That may seem like almost too many carrots per serving, but when they are cooked to smithereens and pureed to a silky smooth texture, it’s easy to eat a ton of this super healthy veggie.
And if you still have a ton of carrots after making this soup, whip up a batch of carrot fries and thank me later.
The carrots’ natural sweetness is enhanced by cooking, and they pair so well with fresh minced ginger, brown butter, and just a teeny bit of orange zest. This soup is velvety smooth, buttery, and deliciously simple.
And carrots are SO cheap, making this soup very budget-friendly!
In this post, I’ll explain how to get the best sweet flavor, the easiest way to get a velvety smooth texture, and how to make it vegan, vegetarian, whole30, or paleo compliant.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
1.5 pounds carrots peeled and sliced
1 yellow onion diced
kosher salt to taste
1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced (about a 1" piece)
1/2 teaspoon orange zest from about 1 orange
4 cups chicken stock/broth or vegetable stock, or water, or a combo
plain yogurt, fresh basil, green onions and/or other herbs for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Melt the 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until browned and starting to foam.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the onions to the pot and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots and a generous pinch of salt and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until they are coated in butter and begin to soften.
Add the minced ginger (1 tablespoon), orange zest (1/2 teaspoon), and chicken stock (4 cups). Bring to a boil, then simmer on low, covered, for about 20 minutes (or until carrots are tender and easily pierced with a fork).
Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to desired consistency (alternatively, you may do this in batches in a traditional blender).
Taste to adjust seasoning and add salt if needed. Serve hot, or if you want the soup chilled, refrigerate for about two hours before serving. Garnish with plain yogurt, fresh basil, green onions or herbs, if desired.
Notes
Freezer Instructions: Make a double batch and freeze it for up to 6 months in an airtight container.
Make it vegan: use 2 tablespoons olive oil instead of the butter and skip the browning process.
Make it Whole30/Paleo/dairy free: Use 2 tablespoons olive oil or ghee instead of butter and skip the browning process.
TIPS FOR ENHANCING THE SOUP’S FLAVOR
There are three tips for getting the BEST flavor out of this carrot ginger soup.
Peel the carrots. I’m not usually one for peeling anything (potatoes included), and I often leave skins of veggies on. But I do recommend it for this soup. Why? The peels will impart a slightly bitter taste to the soup. This is usually fine in a heavier recipe like beef stew, but I love the pure, light taste of this soup. You can skip peeling if you want, but make sure to give the carrots a good scrub with a vegetable brush before cooking.
Brown the butter. Before adding the onions, heat the butter until it begins to turn brown and foam. When butter browns, the dairy particles toast a bit, imparting an earthy flavor that goes so well with the sweet carrots and adds richness to the soup. But be careful- once it turns brown, add the onions immediately to stop the browning process (otherwise, it may burn). Again, you can skip this if you’re pressed for time or just don’t feel like it.
Mince the ginger with a microplane zester. After you peel the ginger (using a vegetable peeler or just the back of a spoon), use a microplane zester to get a very fine mince. This will help the flavor distribute into every inch of the soup. You’ll need it for the orange zest anyway, so you won’t be creating more dishes! :-)
HOW TO MAKE THE CARROT GINGER SOUP VELVETY SMOOTH
The trick to getting a smooth texture to the soup is to puree it. And the easiest way to puree it is directly in the pot with an immersion blender.
An immersion blender, otherwise known as a stick blender, just submerges right into the soup pot to puree, rather than having to lug a huge appliance out (and thus clean said appliance). It’s one of my most loved kitchen gadgets.
In order to get a very smooth result, I recommend holding the blender at a slight angle from the bottom of the pot. If this causes it to splatter, just tilt the pot so the soup is deeper where the blender is. This will speed up the blending process and make sure every morsel gets pureed for the smoothest, creamiest consistency.
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can also use a standing blender in batches.
HOW TO MODIFY THIS CARROT GINGER SOUP
To make this carrot ginger soup vegetarian, make sure to use vegetable stock or water in place of the chicken stock.
For a vegan /paleo/whole30 (and thus dairy-free)option, substitute the butter with two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and skip the browning process.
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