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.
If you’re in the market for more quick soups, be sure to check out our Soup-er Simple Series. Our Quick Curried Chicken and Lentil Soup is also apart of the series!
Vegan Curried 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 work. We use the combo in Coconut Green Curry Mussels, Meatball Curry, and Coconut Curry Sweet Potato Soup.
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.
Ingredients Needed
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: 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.
- Kosher salt
- High-quality curry powder: I like to use a combo of Simply Organic’s Curry Powder and Spicy Curry Powder.
- 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: if you don’t have fresh limes on hand, rice vinegar, white vinegar or apple cider vinegar all work.
- For serving: fresh cilantro, chopped roasted and salted peanuts, and ground sumac
How to Make Curried Carrot Soup
- Cook the onions, carrots and ginger in oil until starting to soften.
- Add the curry powder and cook for a couple of minutes to bloom the spices.
- Add the broth and simmer until carrots are tender.
- Purée the soup using an immersion blender or in batches using a standard blender.
- Stir in the coconut milk and lime juice.
- Season the soup to taste with addition salt—this is so important!
- Serve the soup with chopped peanuts, cilantro and sumac. Ground sumac adds a slight acidic tang which balances the flavors of the creamy carrot soup.
expert Tips from the Test Kitchen
- 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.
- 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.
Storage and Freezing
Curried carrot soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, freeze the soup for up to 3 months. Thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator before reheating and serving.
Can Bags of Baby Carrots Be Used?
Sure! Just make sure you use 2 pounds of baby carrots. Leave smaller carrots whole and halve the larger carrots.
Variations to Try
- 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.
Recommended Equipment
Curried Carrot Soup Recipe
Description
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 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
For serving
- Cilantro
- Roasted and salted peanuts, chopped
- Sumac
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.
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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!
Hi, I made a complete vegan meal out of this, by adding pureed white beans instead of coconut milk, to add protein, and creaminess, rice for a starch, and texture, green onions for a snap of color, & diced mushrooms to add depth of umami flavor.
I omitted the ginger & lime, as we don’t like them.
So it ends up being a nutritionally dense, warm, flavorful, complete vegan meal. I serve it with a fruit dessert, to include all 4 food groups, protein, starch, vegetable and fruit.
I cooked the raw carrots, and beans together, then pureed them together.
The rice I cooked in vegetable broth, so the rice would absorb the broth, and be more flavorful. I added in the diced mushrooms, green onions, and garlic, 5 minutes b4 the rice was done cooking.
I then combined the “solids” aka rice, mushrooms & onions, with the liquids aka pureed beans & carrots, and added in the spices, aka curry powder, to assemble the dish.
One could sautee the garlic, onions, and mushrooms, for more flavor, but I didn’t as it’s an extra step.