Creamy Carrot Soup Recipe (2024)

Creamy Carrot Soup has surprisingly simple ingredients like carrots, onion, celery, and bacon, but it tastes gourmet. Just like our popular Potato Soup, this is a quick and easy recipe that comes together in one pot. You will love the silky smooth texture and rich flavor.

Creamy Carrot Soup Recipe (1)

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Why You’ll Love This Carrot Soup Recipe

Carrot soup is loaded with sweet carrots, plenty of onion and celery (don’t worry – they disappear into the final soup but add amazing flavor), fresh garlic, bacon, and light cream. Sauteeing the bacon first and cooking the rest of the soup in a little bit of bacon grease elevates the flavor of this cream of carrot soup.

It’s such a comforting and flavorful bowl of soup. All you need to go with it are some Dinner Rolls or crusty French Bread.

Creamy Carrot Soup Recipe (2)

How to Make Easy Carrot Soup

You’ll love how this soup comes together in one pot. If you use an immersion blender, it’s even easier since you can blend it right in the pot and don’t have to transfer it to the blender. Immersion blenders are amazing!

  • In a large pot or 5 1/2 Qt Dutch oven, brown the bacon over medium heat and transfer to a plate, keeping the bacon grease in the pot.
  • Add diced onion, celery, and sliced carrots and cook 6-8 min. Add minced garlic, salt, and black pepper and cook another minute.
  • Add chicken broth, and simmer partially covered 20-25 min until carrots are soft.
  • Puree soup in batches in a blender or use an immersion blender.
  • Return soup to the pot, stir in 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 cup milk, salt and pepper to taste, then bring to a simmer and remove from heat.
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Ways to Blend Creamy Soups

There are many ways to blend soup, but not all are effective in getting a restaurant-quality ultra-smooth consistency.

  • High-Powered Blender: Transfer your soup to your blender in batches. You should never fill a blender more than halfway with hot liquids to avoid burns, spills or ‘explosions.’ A high-powered blender will do the job best. Our blender has openings in the lid to allow heat to escape so you don’t end up with a vacuum.
  • Immersion Blender:You can blend the soup to the right consistency and save yourself some dishes by using an immersion blender. Blend directly in your soup pot. It has a shield around the blade to avoid scratching your pot. Wear an oven mitt and apron while using in case there is any splatter.
  • An Electric Hand Mixer – This is not as good as an immersion blender for getting a silky smooth texture. An electric hand mixer can also scratch up your coated pots.
  • A Food Processor is our least favorite option as it doesn’t achieve the smoothness that you get from a high-powered standing blender or immersion blender. It is better for processing thicker and chunkier sauces and soups.
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Tips for the Best Carrot Soup

I fell in love with creamy soups on our honeymoon in Mexico where we dined in 5-star restaurants and soup was often served as a starter. They were so simple and so elegant at the same time. Here are some tips to make silky smooth blended soups:

  • Don’t overcook or undercook the vegetables. Cook until uniformly soft without resistance to the bite.
  • Season to taste at the end. You won’t be able to truly gauge the flavor until the end after it’s all blended.
  • Add cream last. You don’t want to keep boiling after the cream is added.
  • Don’t forget toppings! They aren’t just for looks. Toppings like bacon, parsley, black pepper or an extra swirl of cream will add just the right amount of texture and flavor and keep your soup exciting for adults. Remember it’s not baby food!
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Can I Make This a Dairy-Free Carrot Soup?

Yes! You can skip the cream and milk and use coconut milk instead for a carrot coconut soup, just like we did in our Sweet Potato Soup. It will still have amazing flavor and be a dairy-free creamy soup.

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This Carrot soup is a feel-good comfort food and will warm your belly. If you love quick and cozy soup recipes, don’t miss our most popular Zuppa Toscana, classic Chicken Noodle Soup, and loaded Taco Soup (to change up your Taco Tuesday routine). These are just a few of our best soup recipes.

More Creamy Soup Recipes

  • Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
  • Clam Chowder
  • Corn Chowder
  • Creamy Cauliflower Soup
  • Easy Tomato Soup
  • Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Creamy Carrot Soup

4.96 from 126 votes

Author: Natasha Kravchuk

Creamy Carrot Soup Recipe (11)

Creamy Carrot Soup has surprisingly simple ingredients but tastes gourmet. This is a 30-minute recipe that comes together in one pot. You will love the silky smooth texture and rich flavor.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Ingredients

Servings: 8 people (1 cup servings)

  • 6 oz bacon, 6 strips, chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (2 cups)
  • 1 celery rib, diced (1/2 cup)
  • 2 lbs carrots, 8 large, peeled and sliced into 1/2” thick rings
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 4 cups chicken stock, or broth (reduced sodium)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, plus more to garnish
  • 2 Tbsp parsley, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • Brown bacon in a 5 1/2 qt Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat and remove browned bacon with a slotted spoon.

  • Into the same pot with the rendered bacon fat, add diced onion, celery, and sliced carrots and cook 6-8 minutes until onions soften (do not brown). Add minced garlic and 2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper, and stir another minute.

  • Add 4 cups chicken stock, bring to a simmer then partially cover and cook 20-25 minutes or until carrots have softened.

  • Puree soup in a blender in batches or use an immersion blender.

  • Return soup to pot and stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Per Serving

180kcal Calories18g Carbs9g Protein8g Fat4g Saturated Fat25mg Cholesterol1270mg Sodium541mg Potassium3g Fiber9g Sugar19178IU Vitamin A8mg Vitamin C73mg Calcium1mg Iron

  • Full Nutrition Label
  • Nutrition Disclosure

Nutrition Facts

Creamy Carrot Soup

Amount per Serving

Calories

180

% Daily Value*

Fat

8

g

12

%

Saturated Fat

4

g

25

%

Cholesterol

25

mg

8

%

Sodium

1270

mg

55

%

Potassium

15

%

Carbohydrates

18

g

6

%

Fiber

3

g

13

%

Sugar

9

g

10

%

Protein

9

g

18

%

Vitamin A

19178

IU

384

%

Vitamin C

8

mg

10

%

Calcium

73

mg

7

%

Iron

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: carrot soup

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $

Calories: 180

Natasha Kravchuk

Creamy Carrot Soup Recipe (12)

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

Creamy Carrot Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make soup more creamy? ›

Add Stale Bread: A few slices of bread also help make a soup creamy. Tear them into pieces and let them soak in a cup or two of the hot soup before pureeing and stirring back into the main pot. 4. Add Yogurt: Plain yogurt works much like cream when added to soups like our avocado soup, but with a lighter result.

How does Gordon Ramsay make carrot soup? ›

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onions, carrots and garlic, sauté for 4 mins, until they are beginning to soften but not colour. Stir in the ground coriander and plenty of seasoning and cook for 1 min. Add the stock and bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 mins or until the carrots are really tender.

Should you cook carrots before putting them in soup? ›

While certain vegetables can work just fine added directly to simmering soups and stews (say, carrots and celery), other vegetables (onions, garlic, and the like) will almost always need at least a brief sweat in a fat-based liquid before adding the remaining ingredients.

Why is my carrot soup bland? ›

The easiest way to fix bland carrot soup is to add seasonings to taste. Here's what I suggest you add if your carrot soup isn't quite up to standard. Just to be clear, you shouldn't add all the above ingredients to fix your bland carrot soup! Add salt and pepper to taste then one of the other suggestions.

Can I use milk in soup instead of cream? ›

Cream and milk can be used as substitutes in soup recipes, but it will affect the texture and flavor of the soup. Milk is a thinner liquid than cream and is generally used to add a creamy texture to soups without the added fat content. It will also give a slightly tangy flavor to the soup.

What is the best thickener for cream soup? ›

The best item to thicken a soup is some sort of starch, whether from flour, cornstarch, arrowroot, or even a lot of potatoes. If it is a powder, mix it with cold water and stir to make a smooth, lump-free paste, and stir constantly as you add it to the soup.

What does carrot soup do to your body? ›

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.

Why is my carrot soup not smooth? ›

"The majority of issues with a creamy soup come from undercooking the vegetables," explains Rick Martinez, associate food editor at BA. They should be uniformly soft, with no resistance or "bite"—otherwise, they will not stand up to the blender. You'll be left with a soup that's watery in portions and lumpy in others.

How do you thicken carrot soup? ›

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

What not to do when making soup? ›

The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Make Cooking Soup
  1. Boiling instead of simmering. You want a small bubble or two to rise to the surface of the liquid every few seconds. ...
  2. Not using enough salt. ...
  3. Ignoring water. ...
  4. Overcooking the vegetables. ...
  5. Adding tomatoes at the beginning. ...
  6. Neglecting to garnish. ...
  7. Not trying a pressure cooker.
Nov 19, 2014

Should carrots be peeled or unpeeled for soup? ›

"If [the carrot] is smooth and can easily be scrubbed, then I don't bother to peel, if using in a soup or stir fry," she says. Blanchard points out another benefit of not peeling carrots: less food waste. Whether you leave carrots unpeeled or choose to peel them is mostly a matter of preference.

How long should carrots simmer in soup? ›

The cooking time for carrots in soup depends on the size and how tender you want them to be. Generally, carrots need around 10-15 minutes of simmering to become tender but still retain some bite. Test their doneness by piercing them with a fork.

Is carrot soup a laxative? ›

The significant amount of fibre in carrots help ensure bowel regularity, as fibre makes the stool bulky and helps it pass smoothly through the digestive tract - this further keeps constipation at bay. A healthy digestive system is known to be linked with healthy weight loss as well.

What gives soup the best flavor? ›

Herbs and spices add aroma, flavor, and intensity to soup broth. "Use fresh or dried basil in tomato-based recipes or fresh parsley to add freshness to clear broth soups," says Sofia Norton, RD. You can also go with more heat and spices.

What makes soup creamier? ›

Add Something Creamy

Possibilities include cream, coconut milk, yogurt, or even pureed avocado. If you choose coconut milk, be aware that it will impart a sweet, coconut flavor, which might not be right for every soup. Yogurt will add tanginess.

How do you make soup creamier and thicker? ›

6 ways to thicken soup:
  1. Blend all or part of it. If you've made a broth with chunks of vegetable in it, such as minestrone soup, then pour the soup through a sieve. ...
  2. Add cream or yogurt. ...
  3. Add flour or cornflour. ...
  4. Use a butter and flour paste. ...
  5. Blend in bread. ...
  6. Add lentils or rice.

Does adding milk to soup make it creamy? ›

To add creaminess: Milk can add a creamy texture to soups, making them feel more luxurious and comforting. To balance flavors: Milk can help to tone down the acidity in soups, making them more palatable. To enrich the broth: Adding milk to soups can increase their nutrient content, particularly if you use whole milk.

How do you add heavy cream to soup? ›

If you started the soup with broth, stock or water, I would wait until the end to add the cream. You can warm the cream, or “temper” it, which is what I do. Take about half a cup of the hot broth and slowly add your cream to that, stirring constantly.

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