A good bowl of soup is one of the best things to have for lunch on a chilly day. Because of how fond I am of my creamy pumpkin soup recipe, I decided to develop an easy carrot soup that also doesn’t use any stock but is more accessible to make year-round.
Like a lot of my recipes, I’ve developed this one to be completely vegan (but I promise, it absolutely doesn’t sacrifice flavour) as, honestly, I think that a carrot soup with coconut milk like I use here tastes even better than one that uses dairy cream!
It also doesn’t require that you have any special kitchen appliances (just like my tomato soup and my parsnip and leek soup recipes) — all you will need is a fine mesh sieve and a potato masher! With these things, you can have a smooth and creamy carrot soup with very limited effort.
One of my favourite things about this soup is that you can make a carrot broth with the scraps from your prepared carrots while they roast. So instead of calling for vegetable stock or, worse, water as the base of your soup, you will have a delicious, spiced carrot broth that will enhance the flavour even more.
How to Make Carrot Soup Without Stock
First things first, you’re going to need to prep your carrots. I call for roasting your carrots first as it adds another dimension of flavour to the final product and makes the soup all the more delicious. It also gives you time to throw together the carrot broth that you’ll be using in lieu of stock.
Peel your carrots and trim off the ends, saving these for your broth later. Cut each carrot in half lengthwise and then cut them into small, 2-3 centimetre wide pieces (about 1 inch).
Toss the carrots in a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay them out onto a sheet tray and move them into a 220°C (425°F) oven for about 40-45 minutes or until they’re very tender and lightly browned.
In the meantime, put your carrot scraps in a small saucepan along with a cinnamon stick, a bay leaf, some whole peppercorns and some allspice berries. Feel free to get creative with the spices you add in here — things like a few cardamom pods or star anise would work great!
Pour in a bit of soy sauce for some complexity and then pour over a bit of cool water, bring up to a simmer and allow to gently bubble away while your carrots are cooking. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and save the broth for later.
Now in a large saucepan over medium heat, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil until shimmering and add in half of a very finely diced yellow onion. Try to dice this as small as you can as it will make it easier to sieve later. Add a pinch of salt to the onion and cook until it’s translucent and softened, about 5-10 minutes.
Then, add in 2 teaspoons of garam masala and a 1/4 teaspoon of chilli flakes and cook until this is really fragrant, about two more minutes.
If you don’t have garam masala, curry powder is a good substitution. If you have neither, then a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of coriander seed, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon of allspice and a 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper will work just fine.
Now, add your garlic — I recommend grating it in with a Microplane grater as this effectively purees the garlic and makes it easier to sieve later.
Cook this for another thirty seconds and then add in your roasted carrots. Stir to coat in the onion mixture and then pour in half a litre of the carrot broth. Bring this up to a simmer, cover and allow to simmer for about fifteen minutes, or until the carrots are very soft and are beginning to break down.
Turn off the heat and, using a potato masher, mash the carrots until they’re very smooth.
Now, set a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl and, working in batches and using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, press the carrot mixture through the sieve to get a very smooth consistency. If you have a blender, this would be the time to use it instead of going through this step.
Return the puree to the bowl, turn the heat to medium, and pour in one can of full-fat coconut milk. I really recommend using full-fat coconut milk here as the taste really is a lot better — make sure to shake it vigorously before opening as the fat solids do tend to separate from the liquid.
Stir in the coconut milk, bring the soup to a simmer to ensure it is completely heated through and then serve!
The soup is great the day it’s made but it will keep in the fridge for about 3-4 days if you want to have it for a few lunches throughout the week.
Carrot Soup Without Stock (No Blender Needed)
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2 lb) carrots
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- ½ tsp whole allspice berries
- ½ tsp medium yellow onion finely diced
- 2 tsp garam masala see note
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- 3 cloves garlic grated or very finely minced
- 1 (400g/14oz) can full-fat coconut milk well-shaken
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Peel and remove both ends of the carrots, saving the peels and ends. Cut the carrots in half lengthwise and then into 2-centimetre (about 1 inch) wide pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper before transferring to a baking sheet and moving to the oven. Roast the carrots until lightly browned and very tender, about 40-45 minutes.
- While carrots are cooking, transfer the peels and ends to a small saucepan. Add in soy sauce, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, peppercorns and allspice berries. Cover with one litre (about 4 cups) of cool water, cover, and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 40-45 minutes, strain through a fine mesh sieve and set aside.
- Over medium heat in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat a tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Add onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is softened, about five to ten minutes. Add garam masala and chilli flakes and cook until very fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for another 30 seconds.
- Add carrots and stir to coat in onion mixture. Cover with 500ml (about 2 cups) of carrot broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and allow to simmer until the carrots are very tender and are beginning to break down, about fifteen minutes.
- Turn off the heat and, using a potato masher, mash the carrots until as smooth as possible. Set a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and, working in batches and using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, press the carrot puree through the sieve.
- Return the carrot puree to the pot, turn the heat to medium, and stir in the coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for another five minutes or so. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
And there you have it, a delicious creamy carrot soup recipe that is completely vegan and doesn’t use any special equipment like a blender!
Are you searching for the perfect roasted carrot soup recipe? Have any questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
Great recipe, Maggie. Thanks so much!
Thanks! Glad you liked it 🙂