Carrot Ginger Soup

This carrot ginger soup is thick and creamy but it’s made without any cream or dairy. It’s a hearty, vegan soup that has a delicious balance of sweet carrots and spicy ginger.

The inspiration for this soup came from a cooking class I took in Northern Virginia for a team event when I still worked in corporate America. I got lucky that our team building event was a cooking challenge, which was right up my alley! We had to create a recipe featuring ginger and we made a carrot ginger soup. I didn’t remember the specifics of what we put in the soup, but I think I got pretty close with this version I remade at home!

Carrot Ginger Soup Ingredients

• Carrots– Obviously, carrots are a must! I recommend using whole carrots and not baby carrots, which have much less flavor. If you can find the carrots with the tops attached, those are likely to be the freshest kind, so pick those up if you can!
• Ginger– Fresh ginger adds a spicy flavor that balances out the sweetness of the carrots. Don’t substitute ground ginger which has less flavor.
• Onion– This adds an additional layer of savory flavor to this soup.
• Garlic– This adds another hint of savory flavor to the soup.
• Vegetable Broth– I used a “chicken-style” vegetable broth, which has a lot of flavor. Feel free to use any broth you like.
• Olive oil– This is necessary to soften the onion, garlic, and ginger and enhance the flavor.
• Baking soda– Adding baking soda helps break down the carrots so they blend into a perfectly smooth soup.

How to Prepare the Ginger

If you have a large piece of ginger, you can use a knife to cut away the outer skin of the ginger. But if you’re working with a small piece of ginger, it can be easier to use a spoon to peel off the outer layer. You’ll need a piece of ginger a little larger than a dice. Then you can finely mince it with a knife or use a rasp style grater to finely grate the ginger.

How to Make Carrot Ginger Soup

Start by sautéing the onion, garlic, and ginger in a large Dutch oven or pot.

Add the carrots, vegetable broth, baking soda, and a few sprigs of fresh thyme.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the carrots are soft. The carrots should fall apart when pressed with a spoon.

Carefully transfer the soup to a blender. Do not fill the blender more than half full. Remove the plastic vent in the lid of the blender, then cover with a kitchen towel. This will allow steam to escape. Blend until the soup is perfectly smooth.

Pour into a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Top with croutons, if desired.

Tips for Perfect Carrot Ginger Soup

You can add additional ginger if you want a spicier flavor. I kept this fairly mild, so our toddler could enjoy it, too! This makes about 3 cups of soup. You can easily double the recipe if you want to make a larger batch. Hit the 2x button above the recipe instructions to get the updated quantities.

Carrot Ginger Soup Topping Ideas

With blended soups like this one I like to add toppings to give the dish more texture and interest. Here are a few of my favorite topping ideas:

• Whole Wheat Croutons– These homemade croutons are a delicious, crunchy soup topping!
• Polenta Croutons– For a unique twist on croutons, try making them with polenta! These are crispy and tasty, and they’re also gluten-free.
• Pumpkin Seeds- Try topping your bowl of soup with a handful of roasted pumpkin seeds for a salted crunchy topping!
• Sour Cream- If you want to cut the sweetness of the soup, try adding a dollop of sour cream.
• Chives- Chopped chives or chopped green onion can be a beautiful way to top your soup!

How to Blend Hot Soup

• Be careful when transferring hot soup! Let the soup cool slightly before trying to transfer it to a blender. Use a measuring cup to transfer the soup. Don’t attempt to pour boiling soup since it could splash and burn you!
• Let the steam escape. After you’ve safely transferred it to a traditional blender, be sure to use the vent in the lid of the blender to allow steam to escape while blending. Cover with a towel to prevent soup from escaping the blender.
• Do NOT try to blend hot soup in a bullet style blender. These blenders must be airtight before blending and hot soup can literally explode. If you want to use a bullet blender to blend soup, it must be cold or room temperature.
• Another option is to use an immersion blender for this soup, although the end result may not be as smooth.

How to Store Leftover Soup

This soup reheats well and can even be frozen for up to 1 month. Store it in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. To reheat, warm at 50% power in the microwave or transfer to a pot and reheat on the stove until warm. If freezing, consider dividing into single serving portions so you can have a quick bowl of soup whenever you want it!

More Soup Recipes

• Minnesota Wild Rice Soup
• 10 Vegetable Soup Recipe
• Immunity Boosting Soup

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More Ways to Use Carrots

Looking for more ways to use carrots? Here are some of my other favorite carrot recipes!

• Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins
• Healthy Carrot Cake Bars
• Carrot Top Hummus

This post was originally published in August 2013. Updated October 2021.