There is a point every fall when the carrots need to come out of the ground, whether I have a plan for them or not. Some go into cold storage, some get tucked into the freezer, and a good pile usually ends up in this carrot ginger soup.
This is a simple, creamy soup made with carrots, fresh ginger, homemade bone broth and heavy cream. The carrots make it naturally sweet, the ginger gives it a little warmth without setting your mouth on fire, and the cream rounds everything out. It is the kind of supper I make when the wind is rattling the windows and nobody needs another complicated thing added to the day.
It is also a very good use for carrots that are not winning any beauty contests. Once everything is cooked and blended, no one will know that half of them came out of the garden shaped like little orange pitchforks.
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Why This Carrot Ginger Soup Works
Carrots can make a smooth, full-bodied soup without flour or another thickener. Onions and garlic keep the flavor savory, while fresh ginger adds enough bite to balance the sweetness of the carrots. Homemade bone broth gives the soup more depth than water, and the heavy cream makes the finished bowl rich without turning it into a bowl of warm pudding.
The recipe is straightforward, but the order matters. Let the onions soften before adding the broth, and cook the carrots until they are completely tender before blending. If the carrots still put up a fight when you press one with a fork, they are not ready. Your blender should not have to finish the cooking.
If you keep broth in the pantry, this is an easy recipe to pull together without much planning. I make large batches and pressure can homemade bone broth so I have it ready for soups, stews and the evenings when I remember at five o’clock that everyone expects dinner.
Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup
Ingredients
Method
- In a 6-quart pan melt coconut oil. Add onions and cook on medium heat for 8-10
- minutes or until the onions are soft. Stir occasionally.
- Add broth, carrots, garlic and ginger. Cover and bring to a boil for 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat and allow to simmer until carrots are soft.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Pour mixture into a
- blender/food processor. Depending on the size of your blender you may have to
- do this in multiple batches. Blend until smooth.
- Pour your soup back into your pan on medium heat. Add heavy cream, sea salt
- and pepper. Heat until preferred serving temperature.
- Serve and top with a touch of sour cream and garnish with fresh parsley sprigs or
- dill leaves.
A Few Notes About the Ingredients
Carrots
Fresh garden carrots are wonderful here, but ordinary grocery-store carrots work just fine. Peel them if the skins are thick, dry or bitter. Very young carrots usually only need a good scrubbing.
Cut the carrots into pieces of roughly the same size so they cook evenly. This is soup, not a knife-skills competition, but one giant chunk mixed in with a pile of thin slices will still be hard when everything else is ready to blend.
Fresh Ginger
Use freshly grated ginger rather than dried ground ginger. The flavor is brighter and cleaner, and it spreads through the soup more evenly. A fine microplane grater makes quick work of it and keeps anyone from biting into an unexpected chunk of ginger.
Four teaspoons gives this soup noticeable warmth without overwhelming the carrots. If your family is cautious about ginger, begin with three teaspoons. You can always add more, but getting it back out is a job even I cannot talk you through.
Bone Broth
Chicken bone broth is my first choice because it adds flavor without overpowering the carrots. Turkey broth also works well. Beef broth will make a darker, heavier soup, so use it only if that is the flavor you want.
Homemade broth varies in saltiness, which is why I wait until the end to make the final seasoning adjustment. If you use store-bought broth, choose one you already know you like because the flavor will be noticeable in a soup this simple.
Heavy Cream
The heavy cream softens the ginger and gives the soup its velvety finish. If you are cooking with milk from your own cow, this is an excellent place to use some of that cream. Add it after blending and heat the soup gently. There is no reason to boil the daylights out of it.
How to Make Carrot Ginger Soup Smooth
The easiest way to blend this soup is directly in the pot with an immersion blender. It makes fewer dishes, which is always a point in its favor, and you can keep blending until the texture is as smooth as you like.
If you use a countertop high-speed blender, let the soup cool as directed and work in small batches. Never fill the blender to the top with hot soup. Remove or loosen the center cap according to the manufacturer’s directions, cover the opening with a folded towel, and begin at low speed so steam can escape safely.
For the smoothest texture, keep blending past the point where the large pieces disappear. Give it another minute, scrape down the sides if necessary, and then return the soup to the pot before adding the cream.
Fixing the Texture and Flavor
Carrots and homemade broth are not identical from one batch to the next, so taste the soup before you carry it to the table.
| If the soup is… | Try this |
|---|---|
| Too thick | Add warm broth, a little at a time |
| Too thin | Simmer it uncovered until it reduces |
| Too sweet | Add a little more salt, pepper or fresh ginger |
| Too sharp from the ginger | Add another splash of cream |
| Flat or bland | Add salt in small amounts, stirring and tasting between additions |
| Not completely smooth | Blend longer, or press it through a fine-mesh strainer |
Do not add more cream before checking the salt. An underseasoned soup can taste strangely sweet and dull, and another cup of cream will not fix it.
Substitutions
For a dairy-free version, replace the heavy cream with full-fat canned coconut milk. Coconut works naturally with carrots and ginger, although it will give the finished soup a more noticeable coconut flavor.
You can also use vegetable broth in place of bone broth. The soup will be lighter, so use a well-seasoned broth rather than plain water.
Butter may be substituted for the coconut oil. I would not use a strongly flavored oil because the carrots and ginger are supposed to be doing the talking here.
What to Serve With Carrot Ginger Soup
This soup works well as a light lunch, but a bowl of blended vegetables may not convince a hungry farm family that supper has arrived. Serve it with warm homemade sandwich bread, a grilled cheese sandwich, or a simple roast chicken if you need a heartier meal.
Top each bowl with sour cream and fresh parsley or dill. Toasted pumpkin seeds, crisp bacon or homemade croutons are also good additions when you want more texture.
If you enjoy creamy vegetable soups, try my roasted pumpkin soup with garlic sage butter next. For a practical freezer staple that can replace the canned version in other meals, make a batch of homemade cream of mushroom soup. You may also want my canned tomato soup concentrate for the pantry.
Storing and Reheating Leftover Soup
Reheat the soup gently on the stovetop, stirring as it warms. If it thickens in the refrigerator, add a small splash of broth or cream.
This soup can be frozen, although cream-based soups sometimes separate slightly after thawing. Let it cool completely, leave room for expansion, and freeze it in meal-sized portions. Thaw it in the refrigerator and whisk well while reheating. If you know you are making a batch specifically for the freezer, you can leave out the cream and add it after the soup has thawed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ground ginger instead of fresh ginger?
Fresh ginger gives this soup its best flavor. If ground ginger is all you have, begin with a small amount and taste before adding more. Ground ginger tastes different and can quickly take over a pot of soup.
Do I have to peel the carrots?
No. Tender garden carrots can be scrubbed well and used with the peel left on. Peel older carrots if the skins are thick, tough or bitter.
Can I make carrot ginger soup without cream?
Yes. Use full-fat coconut milk for a creamy dairy-free soup, or leave the cream out and add a little extra broth for a lighter version.
Why is my carrot soup grainy?
The carrots may not have cooked long enough, or the soup may need more blending. Simmer the carrots until they are completely soft, then blend thoroughly. A high-speed blender will usually make a finer puree than an immersion blender.
Can I pressure can this carrot ginger soup?
Do not pressure can this finished recipe as written. It contains cream, coconut oil and pureed vegetables, and it has not been developed as a tested home-canning recipe. Freeze the soup instead, or keep shelf-stable broth on hand and make the soup fresh when you want it.
