A Simple Carrot Soup Recipe
You are looking at the simplest carrot soup. One I love, in part, because it's an example of how a beautiful meal can come together with a bit of care, and an impossibly short list of ingredients. Carrots and onion form the base. The base is spiked with dollop of red curry paste, and then pureed into silky oblivion.
You are looking at the simplest carrot soup. One I love, in part, because it's an example of how a beautiful meal can come together with a bit of care, and an impossibly short list of ingredients. Carrots and onion form the base. The base is spiked with dollop of red curry paste, and then pureed into silky oblivion. Once pureed, you can flare it out with whatever you have on hand for the toppings. 
Choose the Best Carrots
Use bushy-topped farmers' market carrots or regular orange carrots, either will work. I personally prefer the heirloom farmers' market varieties, but this soup is delicious with just about any carrot.
Getting that Perfect Silky Texture
Part of what I love about this carrot soup in particular, is the silky mouthfeel. If you take the time to peel your carrots, it smooths things out beautifully. I'm going to argue it's a key component in taking this soup from really good to exceptional. That said, if you don't mind a slightly more rustic version, go for peels on and save yourself a step!
How to Blend Carrot Soup
A quick and easy way to puree this soup is with a simple hand blender. It's how I've made this soup for years. But, if there was ever a time to break out the serious blender, this is it. Recently, I started to use our fancy ultra-powerful juice blender for this soup. Blend for a while, it is completely worth the clean-up effort.
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A Simple Carrot Soup
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin coconut oil
- 1 onion chopped
- scant 1 tablespoon red curry paste, or to taste
- 2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped - 1/2-inch chunks
- 1 14- ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
- 1 1/2 cups / 360 ml of water, or to cover
- 1 lemon or lime
- micro greens / cilantro, chopped, toasted almonds , chile oil
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In a large soup pan over medium-high heat add the butter and onion. Stir until the onions are well-coated, and allow to saute until translucent, a few minutes. Add the curry paste, and then stir in the carrots. Allow to cook another minute or two, and then add the coconut milk, salt, and water, adding more water to cover if needed.
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Simmer until the carrots are tender, 10 - 15 minutes, then puree using a blender or hand blender until the soup is completely silky smooth. The next part is important, you're going to make any needed adjustments. For example, add more water if the consistency needs to be thinned out a bit. Taste for salt, adding more if needed. I also like to season this soup with a great big squeeze or lemon or lime juice. Serve topped with whatever you have on hand. Something crunchy like almonds is nice. Along with a final touch of something green, like micro greens & cilantro.
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Comments
If I had red curry paste, I would make this gorgeous soup right now. It sounds fabulous!
This is great! I made it tonight and it was as easy and tasty as promised! I halved the recipe but forgot to halve the curry paste and it was perfect for us! Thank you so much!
Hi Heidi, Your soup recipes have never failed me! I had carrot ginger soup on the mind right before I checked to see if you had a solid carrot soup recipe. Kismet! I made this last night (adding ginger, garlic, and indian curry powder while browning the onions) and added chopped almonds with lemon juice to finish. I'll have to try sprinkling toasted white sesame seeds and green onions with tonight's leftovers. Thanks for making your recipes so simple, adaptable, and richly rewarding. -Marcine
If this is anything like that wonderful tomato soup that uses coconut milk, I'm in! That's one of our favorite soups. Glad to hear the tooth extraction went well.
Thank you for the recipe! It's just what I needed to tackle these 10lbs of carrots I have.
This recipe sounds so good for the times when all of us need time to heal and nurture ourselves from all kinds of afflictions...I wanted to be sure to remind folks about using different kinds of squash and also the use of turmeric, garlic and any of many kinds of curry not only for physical ailments, including preventative and wellness actions we can use or do to remedy sore joints, inflammations. These ingredients are also good for mental relaxation and stress and anxiety reduction. These conditions are also prevalent in many inhabitants of our world today like they found out hundreds of years ago in recipes and cures used in Asia. It would be great if we could at least try to solve some of our problems and conflicts starting with the food we eat and sharing with our neighbors in communities and our planet at large too
All the full fat coconut milk available to me has gums added for thickening, which for digestive reasons I try to avoid. Does your favorite brand have them? Have you been able to find one without?
HS: There are a number of organic coconut milk brands here free from additives...I always look/use those. Happy hunting.I can't say I've ever had carrot soup! Weird, but I love the coconut and curry paste. Perfecto for this cold dreary weather.
You always take presentation to great heights Miss! This looks absolutely fantastic with the garnish. The coconut and lime goes so well with carrot, and I just bought chili oil the other day, result :D Thanks for the recipe, I am glad to hear the operation went well :) x
I love the idea of using Thai curry paste in carrot soup -- normally I go with the classic coriander. When it comes to texture, I've found passing the soup through a sieve really does help make it silky. It's a bit of chore, but I think it's always worth it for the end result.
This looks delightful! A strange (but brilliant) restaurant tip I read some years ago, I believer from Thomas Keller, was around blended soups: in a nutshell, he said to blend a soup until you think it's smooth, then let 'er rip for another 5 minutes. The result is the creamiest, smoothest base with a mouth-feel that makes you think it's full of cream.
Delicious! The perfect dish for cold and dark winter days! I'd probably add some ginger to make it a little bit spicy ;)
I can't get enough of soups for dinner lately thanks for this suggestion. Happy healing.
I made this soup today and it was absolutely delicious - I had to lick the pan :-) The coconutmilk and the carrots are a great mixture! Thank you :-)
This sounds wonderful . . . Except I cannot have red curry paste. :( could Madras curry be substituted?
Yes, absolutely! Sounds wonderful.
Hi Heidi, do you have a particular brand of curry paste that you favour?
Heidi, you will forever be inspiring to me; the way you write and the way you make simple food look gorgeous and special and "handle it with care" as you say. I love coconut carrot soup and make something similar with sweet potato added in. Must try this one though with the red curry paste. Heal quickly!
Sounds divine and if you don't need to peel then that's even better. Think I may substitute the almonds for roasted cashenuts though :)
I love anything simple and this looks and sounds delicious. And I bet it's even better when it helps nurse you back to health!
Love the picture! The recipe sounds perfectly delicious.