An easy, healthy & creamy Carrot Soup recipe loaded with fresh flavors! This soup makes for a comforting treat on a busy weeknight. Make a double batch and have plenty of leftovers for the entire week.
AN EASY & HEALTHY CARROT SOUP RECIPE
Just carrots, onions, garlic, and herbs are all you need for homemade, low carb Carrot Soup. It’s deliciously rich in flavor and comes together in just 30 minutes. Perfect either as a side, or as a meal in itself, this healthy and filling Carrot Soup is a great addition to your dinner.
If you ask me, this is THE BEST Carrot Soup recipe, right here. This is one of my all-time favorite soups that requires a handful of ingredients, and 30 minutes of your time.
Also, this soup is one of those quick to throw together recipes and it’s very customizable. Want it vegetarian? Skip the bacon. Need a vegan option? Skip the bacon and the cream. To be honest, you don’t even need cream – pureed carrots make a thick soup without heavy cream.
HOW TO MAKE A CREAMY CARROT SOUP
I based this recipe off of my Butternut Squash Soup recipe, which is possibly the best thing that ever did happen to butternut squash. IMHO.
We are basically adding all ingredients into a dutch oven and cooking everything together until tender.
- Start with chopping up an onion and about 5 to 6 large carrots. You will need 5 cups of chopped carrots.
- Add those to the soup pot or dutch oven, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in plenty of minced garlic, some chili powder, salt, pepper, and fresh sprigs of thyme.
- Add vegetable broth, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, or until carrots are soft.
- Grab an immersion blender and blend for several minutes, or until carrots are completely pureed and the soup is smooth and creamy.
- Stir in heavy cream or half & half, and serve.
- Top with crispy bacon for an added treat.
BIG BONUS: This soup is FREEZER FRIENDLY! 🙋♀️
HOW TO FREEZE CARROT SOUP
I find that zip-top freezer bags are best for freezing soups. They don’t require a lot of space, and are more convenient because you can use more bags and portion out in individual servings.
- Before freezing, allow soup to cool completely.
- Pour soup into zip-top freezer bags; seal and store in freezer for up to 3 months.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS
- Transfer leftover soup to an airtight container.
- Cover and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
MORE SOUP RECIPES
ENJOY!
Creamy Carrot Soup
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced (optional)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 5 to 6 large carrots, chopped (you need 5 cups chopped carrots)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, or to taste
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or Half & Half, optional
- fresh thyme leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Set a dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Add diced bacon, if using, and cook to a desired crispness. Remove bacon from the pot and set aside.
- Add butter and olive oil to the pot and set over Medium-High heat.
- Stir in chopped onions and carrots; cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in minced garlic, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add thyme sprigs and vegetable broth; stir, set heat to High and bring to a boil.
- Lower heat to Medium and cover the pot; cook for 20 minutes, or until carrots are very soft.
- Uncover, remove thyme sprigs, and, using an immersion blender, puree the soup for several minutes, or until completely blended and smooth.
- Stir in heavy cream or Half & Half, if using.
- Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with prepared bacon.
- Garnish with fresh thyme and serve.
Notes
- If you do not have an immersion blender, transfer all cooked ingredients into a regular blender. Blend in batches and pour out each blended batch back into the soup pot.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Yum .. yum.. the chilli powder was surprising to me. I didn’t use cream but the soup was still smooth. Completely surprised by the chilli powder and how it was just right
That’s great! I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Made this soup and it was pretty delicious. I’m not a thyme lover so I added some fresh grated nutmeg! It was pretty thick so I added only a pour or two of the cream. Thanks for the “main” recipe!
Cream of Carrot soup is one of my favorite comfort go to. This recipe looks (and from the other comments) good – I cannot wait to try this recipe.
Quick questions: Can I substitute nonfat plain greek yogurt in place of the half and half or cream? AND if the yogurt is used, might there be any issue with freezing the soup?
Thanks
Hi!
I’d say not to because it will curdle, but you can give it a try. First, you will need to temper the yogurt; so add a small amount of warm soup to a bowl, whisk in the yogurt, whisk fast, then add the mixture back into the soup. This *should* prevent it from curdling, but I can’t guarantee 100%. 🙂 I do hope it turns out. If you have a minute, please let me know. Enjoy! 🙂
What a nice carrot soup recipe. With the bacon, I felt like I had enough protein for it to “stick to my ribs” when I had soup & salad for lunch.
I followed the recipe as written but ended up garnishing with chopped chives and yogurt instead of thyme and half and half. I’d make it again!
Loved that soup! It’s looking very healthy and delicious, just can’t wait to gulp it down. I’m always looking for new healthy recipes to try. I will try this at home at let you know. Thank you so much for this recipe. Have a nice day
A great healthy soup
Such a fabulous way to use carrots!!
I made this today. It was excellent. I didn’t use the bacon and it’s still as delicious
Perfectly creamy and flavorful! So yummy!
What a savory soup! Can’t wait to give this a try for dinner! It’s so colorful and creamy; it’s sure to be a hit!
This couldn’t look any more perfect! This looks absolutely delicious! Yummy!
I honestly have to say, I’ve never tried carrot soup before. This looks so good and a perfect comfort dish.
What a heartwarming recipe! I bet the bacon tastes wonderful with the carrots; I’ll give this a try!
This is by far my favorite carrot soup recipe. my family and i love carrot soup. we’ve tried all kinds! this is so yummy and creamy with just the right seasonings. well done!
What a great soup! So perfect for all the carrots in my fridge right now.
This looks so delicious! I’m always looking for new healthy recipes to try. Thanks!
Healthy and delicious! We all love it here!
I’m loving this as an Easter dinner option!