Name: Carrot Soup
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon butter; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 stalk celery, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or parsley; 5 cups chopped carrots; 2 cups water; 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, "no-chicken" broth (see Note) or vegetable broth; 0.5 cup half-and-half (optional); 0.5 teaspoon salt; Freshly ground pepper to taste

Active Time:

40 mins

Additional Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

50 mins

Servings:

8

Yield:

8 servings, about 1 cup each

Nutrition Profile:

Egg-Free Gluten-Free Healthy Immunity Low-Calorie Nut-Free Soy-Free

Jump to Nutrition Facts

Is Carrot Soup Vegetarian?

It can be! We like the savory flavor of chicken broth, but if you want a vegetarian soup, chicken-flavored broth, a vegetarian broth despite its name, is preferable to vegetable broth for its hearty, rich flavor and light golden color. (Vegetable broth will work too, but it may darken the color.) Sometimes called "no-chicken" broth, it can be found with the soups in the natural-foods section of most supermarkets.

Can I Make Carrot Soup Ahead?

Yes! Cover and refrigerate Carrot Soup for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

How to Make Carrot Soup Extra Creamy

The easiest way to make your carrot soup creamy is to simply add cream after it's blended (We prefer half-and-half to cut back on saturated fat.) If you want to skip the cream entirely, using a high-powered stand blender can give you light and creamy results. A regular stand blender works well too, but you may have to blend it for longer. When using any stand blender, be sure to remove the center piece from the lid and hold a clean towel over the hole to prevent burns. An immersion blender will blend the soup, but it tends to not blend it as finely so the result will be less creamy.

Love carrot soup?Learn how to turn any vegetable into a creamy soup

Nutrition Notes

Is This Recipe Diabetes-Friendly?

This recipe just missed our diabetes-appropriate tag because, at 486 mg, it's a tick over the recommended amount of sodium per serving (480 mg or less). However, you could reduce the amount of added salt or use unsalted stock and make it fit our EatingWell diabetes guidelines.

Are Carrots Healthy?

With the low-carb diet fads came a dis to carrots. But carrots are loaded with nutrition, including fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium. And while it's true that carrots are good for eye health, their antioxidants also help protect your heart, skin, brain and immune system, while reducing inflammation.

Is This Recipe High in Fiber?

A 2-cup serving size of this carrot soup will provide about 5 grams of fiber—which is about 19% of your daily fiber needs in one delicious bowl.

Additional reporting by Hilary Meyer and Carrie Myers

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or parsley
5 cups chopped carrots
2 cups water
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, "no-chicken" broth (see Note) or vegetable broth
½ cup half-and-half (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

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. 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.

Photographer /Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Kay Clarke, Food Stylist / Emily Nabors Hall

Originally appeared: EatingWell Magazine, Soup Cookbook

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

176	Calories
8g	Fat
22g	Carbs
7g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Serving Size about 2 cups
Calories 176
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 22g	8%
Dietary Fiber 5g	19%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 7g	14%
Total Fat 8g	11%
Saturated Fat 3g	14%
Cholesterol 8mg	3%
Vitamin A 26874IU	537%
Vitamin C 13mg	14%
Folate 40mcg	10%
Sodium 486mg	21%
Calcium 81mg	6%
Iron 1mg	6%
Magnesium 28mg	7%
Potassium 795mg	17%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.