Creamy Curried Carrot Soup

Name: Creamy Curried Carrot Soup (Dairy-Free, Vegan)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil; 1 yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups); 2 pounds of carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks (about 5 cups); 1 (1-inch) knob of ginger, peeled and chopped (I use ginger paste); Kosher salt, to taste; 4 teaspoons of curry powder; 4 cups of vegetable broth; 1 (13.66 ounce) can of full-fat coconut milk (see notes); 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice (about 1 lime); For garnish: cilantro, chopped roasted peanuts, and/or ground sumac

This super cozy creamy curried carrot soup (say that five times fast!) was the perfect antidote to the nasty arctic “bomb cyclone” nonsense we just went through.

This soup is perfect in its simplicity. The carrots are definitely the star, but transformed from simple to sublime when paired with creamy coconut milk, the bite of ginger, and the warmth of curry powder.

This is a naturally vegan carrot soup, and makes a great plant-based meal when needed. The one thing I’ll say is that it lacks protein so I usually pair it with either some chicken or salmon, or at least a chickepea or lentil dish.

I strongly recommend using a high-quality coconut milk, without all sorts of additives and stabilizers. I use this Chakoah coconut milk (I order it by the case, since I go through so much). Trader Joe’s full-fat canned coconut milk is usually a good mass option too.

Dice the carrots into small-ish even pieces (so they cook more quickly).

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil and allow it to heat for a minute, then add the diced onion. Stir and cook for 1 minute, to soften.

Add the diced carrots, ginger, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine and cook until they start to soften, stirring occasionally (about 10 minutes).

Add the curry powder and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the carrots are softened, usually between 10–15 minutes.

Remove from heat and purée the soup using an immersion blender (or in batches using a standard blender, if you don’t have an immersion).

Stir in the coconut milk and lime juice and season with salt to taste. I usually add about 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt.

Serve with fresh cilantro, chopped peanuts, and a sprinkle of ground sumac. It reheats really well and makes great leftovers (which is helpful, as this makes a lot!).

Even though I don’t typically gravitate towards “soup as a meal”, this curried carrot soup is a total winner in my book, and a great plant-based meal option…cozy, creamy, packed with flavor, and soooo easy!

Other cozy, healthy soups you’ll love:

Adapted from Zestful Kitchen

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Creamy Curried Carrot Soup (Dairy-Free, Vegan)

Yield: 8-10 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

This creamy curried carrot soup recipe is super easy to make, flavorful, and packed with veggies, a cozy meal any night of the week! It's also dairy-free and a great vegan soup recipe (made with coconut milk).

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)
2 pounds of carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks (about 5 cups)
1 (1-inch) knob of ginger, peeled and chopped (I use ginger paste)
Kosher salt, to taste
4 teaspoons of curry powder
4 cups of vegetable broth
1 (13.66 ounce) can of full-fat coconut milk (see notes)
2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
For garnish: cilantro, chopped roasted peanuts, and/or ground sumac

Instructions

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil and allow it to heat for a minute, then add the diced onion. Stir and cook for 1 minute, to soften.
Add the diced carrots, ginger, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine and cook until they start to soften, stirring occasionally (about 10 minutes).
Add the curry powder and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the carrots are softened, usually between 10–15 minutes.
Remove from heat and purée the soup using an immersion blender (or in batches using a standard blender, if you don't have an immersion).
Stir in the coconut milk and lime juice and season with salt to taste. I usually add about 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt.
Serve with fresh cilantro, chopped peanuts, and a sprinkle of ground sumac.

Notes

The quality of your coconut milk really does matter, and in particular whether it has additives and stabilizers. I use Chaokah canned coconut milk (I order it by the case, since I go through so much, for curries and such). Trader Joe’s full-fat canned coconut milk is usually a good mass option too.
Use high-quality curry powder with a flavor you really like. Or make your own curry powder by using 1 teaspoon each ground coriander, turmeric, and cumin plus a pinch of cayenne.
If you need to avoid cooking with oil due to a specific health protocol, you can instead substitute another 1/4 cup of broth for the oil, and cook/soften the onions and carrots in that instead.