Carrot Soup

Rating: 4.71 stars
35 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 25
  • 4 star values: 10
  • 3 star values: 0
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0

This easy carrot soup recipe is a great way to use up a bag of carrots that were forgotten in your produce drawer. The carrots cook together with aromatics like onions, garlic and fresh herbs before being puréed into a silky smooth soup that's delicious for dinner or packed up for lunch.

EatingWell Test Kitchen
Source: EatingWell Magazine, Soup Cookbook

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Recipe Summary

total:
50 mins
Servings:
8
Nutrition Profile:
Low-Calorie
Egg Free
Gluten-Free
Nut-Free
Soy-Free
Healthy Immunity
Nutrition Info
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until the butter melts. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and thyme (or parsley); cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds.

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  • Stir in carrots. Add water and broth; bring to a lively simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook until very tender, about 25 minutes.

  • Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Stir in half-and-half (if using), salt and pepper.

Tips

To make ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Ingredient Note: Chicken-flavored broth, a vegetarian broth despite its name, is preferable to vegetable broth in some recipes for its hearty, rich flavor. Sometimes called “no-chicken” broth, it can be found with the soups in the natural-foods section of most supermarkets.

Read more: Got Extra Veggies? Turn Them Into Pureed Soup with This Simple Formula

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: about 2 cups
Per Serving:
176 calories; protein 6.8g 14% DV; carbohydrates 21.7g 7% DV; exchange other carbs 1.5; dietary fiber 5.2g 21% DV; sugars 9.2g; fat 8.3g 13% DV; saturated fat 2.8g 14% DV; cholesterol 7.6mg 3% DV; vitamin a iu 26873.8IU 538% DV; vitamin c 12.6mg 21% DV; folate 39.5mcg 10% DV; calcium 81.2mg 8% DV; iron 1.1mg 6% DV; magnesium 27.5mg 10% DV; potassium 794.8mg 22% DV; sodium 486.4mg 20% DV; thiamin 0.1mg 12% DV.
Exchanges:

3 1/2 vegetable, 1 1/2 fat

Reviews (33)

Read More Reviews
35 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 25
  • 4 star values: 10
  • 3 star values: 0
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
Cherie
Rating: 5 stars
06/12/2019
This was excellent! I added extra onions garlic celery and carrots. I've made it twice and the 2nd time I spiced it up with red pepper flakes and organic diced tomatoes. Yummy!! Very easy! Read More
Janet
Rating: 5 stars
05/20/2019
This is so easy and SO delicious! I made it with soy milk instead of half and half to make it vegan and cut the calories and fat. This is one of my go-to recipes! Read More
Tom K
Rating: 4 stars
03/20/2019
This is the second time I have made this. I only added more carrots 6 cups more celerf 5 stalks and opted the half and half. I often share what I cook and the neighbors love it also It s super that something as simple to make tastes so darn good Love it Read More
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Elizabeth Clark
Rating: 5 stars
01/21/2019
This was terrific! Even very picky 9 yo liked it & I loved it! I opted not to add the half & half as I thought it was great without. I might add something like a dash of cinnamon or something next time or maybe a bit of honey. Read More
Tarina Marie Cooley
Rating: 5 stars
01/17/2019
Super simple & delicious! Tip: substitute the half and half with cream cheese & add in when blending. Works great with butternut squash soup as well! Read More
Canela Flowers
Rating: 5 stars
10/11/2018
Made this today using the exact recipe. The carrot soup turned out perfect and delicious. A keeper recipe for sure. I am thinking roasted garlic may be good in it and want to try that next time. Read More
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Myriam Frederick
Rating: 5 stars
09/14/2018
Surprisingly really good! I followed this recipe and made no changes. This isn't as creamy as the carrot soup I purchase at work but its really really good. Maybe they use heavy cream instead of half n half? Read More
Magenta Johnson
Rating: 5 stars
08/13/2018
I used a can of coconut milk instead of half and half and I also added tumeric. It was absolutely delicious and I will definitely make this again. The whole house loved it! Read More
2peas
Rating: 5 stars
02/16/2018
We loved it. Easy to make delicious Added a little curry powder and red pepper flakes for some spice. Had left overs. Even tasted better the next day for lunch. Read More
bhet
Rating: 5 stars
01/22/2018
I loved how simple this recipe was to make and with so few ingredients. It came out delicious. I only made very minor modifications. Onions and garlic are hard on my stomach and I'm able to tolerate shallots better so I substituted one large shallot in place of the onion and garlic. I also added a dash of turmeric as mentioned by others and a dash of ginger. It was soothing and just what I needed after being sick. Read More
teresa
Rating: 5 stars
11/10/2017
Absolutely delicious and easy to make. I will definitely make it again; I followed exactly this time is but may experiment with some of the reviewers' suggestions in the future.Like some of the other reviewers necessity brought me to this recipe - a combination of left over carrots from a bag that were exceptionally flavorful and dental surgery necessitating a soft diet - even the dental surgery was worth this discovery! Read More
Barbara
Rating: 5 stars
10/23/2017
We're vegan so we left out the half and half. To make up for the fact that it wouldn't be as creamy without the milk when we blended it we left most of the broth out. It was soooo delish even our two year old couldn't get enough of it! Will definitely be making this again! Read More
Ann
Rating: 5 stars
09/15/2017
Added about 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and a couple of tablespoons of fresh ginger. Excellent soup which will go into our regular rotation. Read More
Elle
Rating: 5 stars
08/26/2017
So delicious! Thank you! I added 1 sweet potato an extra celery stalk and a couple generous pinches of turmeric. It was thicker but consumed in 60 seconds! (Hard not to eat the entire batch! ). I felt amazing after eating it. Though I did not have a Dutch oven I used my allclad wok. Perfection!!! Read More
FigmentOf YourImagination
Rating: 5 stars
08/02/2017
I came here looking for carrot soup recipes for some leftover cooked carrots I had after making homemade beef broth in the crock pot. I am on a liquid diet post-op for a few weeks which was why I needed the broth but I love carrots and hated the thought of throwing the solids out! I pureed the cooked carrots with the spices (adding a little turmeric as suggested in another review) used the beef broth instead of chicken and almond milk instead of cream. Delicious and perfect for my new tummy! Read More
Adriana Chapa
Rating: 5 stars
05/09/2017
The forgotten bag of potatoes was way bad to even cook so I grabbed the forgotten bag of carrots and made this soup no celery so added celery salt. I used to just boil the carrots and then blend but everything sautee first makes it even better! Read More
Jenn Smith
Rating: 5 stars
03/09/2017
Added a dash of turmeric will make again! Read More
Nancy Prior
Rating: 5 stars
11/08/2016
Great and easy to make!! Read More
Stephanie Lopez
Rating: 5 stars
11/03/2016
AMAZING! Read More
Shawna Mak Birnbaum
Rating: 5 stars
09/18/2016
Amazing and ridiculously easy! My family loved it! I did indeed come here because I had two bags of carrots just languishing in the produce drawer. The only difference is that I only used garlic and carrots and no other vegetables. I subbed half and half for heavy cream (40% fat? I live in Sweden) which made it even creamier and dreamier. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
01/24/2016
Easy and Tasty! Simple recipe with great flavor. Carrots are allowed to stay on their own with natural sweetness and richness. I did use 2 large shallots instead of onion and dried thyme instead of fresh. Pros: Not a lot of ingredients needed simple preparation makes this soup fast to make. Read More
sammebuck@msn.com
Rating: 4 stars
01/14/2016
Very Tasty I followed the recipe as written except: added 2 shakes of Tabasco brand pepper sauce (about 1/2 tsp) and 1/4 c more on the half/half...used non fat half/half. This soup was delicious! My husband liked it then I gave some to a bachelor neighbor of ours and he LOVED it. Would not have ever thought my husband would like carrot soup. He said its a keeper. Paired it with a nice crusty fresh made French loaf and olive oil/garlic for dipping. Pros: Easy quick Cons: none Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/15/2015
Delicious make-again! i subbed in parsnips for about 1/4 of the carrots (1.25 cups). Def finish with half and half that makes it. Tabasco tarragon s&p to finish. Oh! Gorgeous soup. My wine club loved it. Froze well too. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
09/16/2015
soooo easy! so good!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can (and will) make this over and over! Pros: low-fat Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
08/07/2015
Love this soup I made this soup with fresh carrots from my daughter's garden. I did add 2 tsp. of freshly grated ginger root just before pureeing. And yes I used the half and half but next time I might use the suggestions of those who used fat free buttermilk. Pros: light and tasty Cons: Lots of chopping Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
07/18/2015
Light flavorful and FILLING! I had tons of carrots in my CSA box this week and wanted a fun new way to use them. I had everything on hand except celery and aside from that omission followed the recipe exactly. It was DELICIOUS! It's light and full of flavor but make no mistake - this will totally fill you up. Like another reviewer I used an immersion blender. Easy dinner easy cleanup. I can't wait to make this again.:-) Pros: Easy to make Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
01/31/2015
Does it taste as good as it smells? I'm in the middle of making this soup for the first time and already I love it. I woke up early this morning to feed the dogs and was feeling restless. I looked in the fridge and realized we had a lot of carrots to use up. A quick search and I found this recipe. Based on some previous carrot soups I have made I added a couple pinches of ginger and a tablespoon of basil. I'm also substituting homo milk for the half-and-half. I have high hopes for this fragrant pot of goodness! Pros: Easy to make good batch size short ingredient list easily customized Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
12/07/2014
Absolutely addictive! I am making this soup for the second time in two weeks. I had a big bag of carrots and wanted to use them up. I had no celery but it did not matter. I added a little extra fresh garlic (which I do to most of my recipes) and a teaspoon of smoked paprika. Voila! So delicious. Thank you so much for this recipe! Pros: Easy to make versatile delicious! Cons: None Read More
signalflags
Rating: 4 stars
12/02/2014
Smooth & Creamy Carrot Soup I used Fat Free Buttermilk which I usually substitute in soups that call for milk or cream. Beautiful color creamy texture & best use of leftover carrots I've come across. So easy...carrots & pantry items...that's it! If you don't have a hand held immersion blender...get one. Makes every pureed job a snap...& keeps the recipe to one pot!:) Pros: great use for leftover Thanksgiving carrots! Delicious & healthy. Cons: none! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
09/26/2014
Carrot Soup I found this the easiest directions to follow. I had a few small beets in fridge so I put them in also.. it turned out really nice.. Thanks for sharing! Pros: easy to prepare Cons: none yet! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
11/06/2013
Shame on you for not eating carrots! Any diet that rules out carrots is not a healthy way to lose weight. Thank you eatingwell for posting delicious recipes for people who follow a diet where no fruit or vegetable is forbidden! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/31/2013
YUM! This is delish! I changed a couple things because I wanted to use what I had in the house. I didn't have celery so I just skipped it and I used vegatable broth in place of chicken and skim milk instead of half and half.. So good.. I will be sure to make this again! Pros: Tasty and healthy.. what more could you ask for?!?! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/21/2012
Delicious low-calorie ultra-satisfying This soup is fantastic! I love carrots and this soup is tasty and filling. It has helped me lose weight the last few weeks because I eat it before my meals and it helps me eat less. Pros: 77 calories a cup delicious and healthy! Cons: None for me! Read More
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