This vibrant, velvety Vegan Carrot Ginger Soup is simply delicious and a perfect way to warm up on cold days! A creamy soup blending tender carrots with fresh ginger, coconut milk, garlic and curry powder is full of zesty flavor. And it can be made on the stove or in an Instant Pot!
Inspiration for this vegan carrot soup recipe came from the first time I went on a girls' getaway to Woodloch Lodge & Spa in the Poconos. There were eight of us and we all gave it two thumbs up so re-creating it here was a no-brainer.
Chef Brady shared the basics of this recipe during a fun cooking demo. His version made a whopping 40 servings! Since we’re not feeding Woodloch, I whittled it down to a more manageable 8 servings with a few tweaks along the way.😉
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Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Super tasty and healthy! Gluten free and full of immune system boosting nutrients.
- Easy to make with budget-friendly pantry ingredients.
- Can be made ahead and is freezer friendly.
- Tastes great served hot or at room temperature.
- Serve as an appetizer, side or the main course!
And you’ll never let leafy carrot top greens go to waste again once you make this herby Carrot Top Pesto!
Plus, other eye-catching, delicious vegan soup recipes you need to try: Roasted Purple Potato & Cauliflower Soup and Creamy Turmeric Cauliflower Soup. Easy, healthy and delish! All are great complements to hearty dishes like chicken pot pie!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Carrots – You can use regular carrots or baby carrots. And you can turn this easy recipe into a carrot and butternut squash soup or combine with sweet potatoes.
Other veggies – Onions and celery round out the mirepoix (meer-pwah) of flavor with the carrots. Leeks and fennel could also play a role in this versatile soup.
Olive oil – Used for sauteeing the vegetables. Canola, vegetable, avocado or coconut oil can be substituted.
Garlic – Garlic cloves are always an incredibly flavorful addition to any savory recipe.
Curry powder – Adds deep earthy notes with a touch of sweetness from cinnamon and cloves. Its spicy flavor can range depending on the type and amount of pepper used in it.
Canned coconut milk – You can use either lite or full fat coconut milk. I use coconut cream as a topping, but you could blend some in the soup for an even richer, creamy texture. You can also substitute heavy cream if not concerned with dairy.
Rice milk – A relatively thin, neutral flavored milk to add more liquid for the vegetables to simmer in. Cashew, almond or oat milk can be substituted as well as vegetable broth.
Juice – I add carrot juice to hammer home that carrot flavor, but orange juice will also add a similar touch of sweetness and brightness to the soup.
Fresh ginger root – Its distinct peppery and slightly sweet flavor goes so well with carrots. Store in the freezer to keep it fresh longer and it actually grates easier when frozen. Just be sure to scrape off the thin outer bark before grating.
Cooking Steps & Tips
Heat oil in Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, chopped onion, and celery and cook until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.
TIP: Try to cut the carrots around the same size for even cooking.
Add garlic and curry powder and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
Pour in rice milk, coconut milk, and carrot juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes until carrots are tender.
Puree the vegetables with an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender.
TIP: Do not fill the blender more than halfway, and partially cover the hole in the lid with a dishtowel to allow steam from the hot liquid to escape.
Pour each batch of pureed carrots in another soup pot. Keep warm on medium-low heat. Once the soup is pureed stir in maple syrup and ginger. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
TIP: Add fresh ginger at the end to maximize its flavor. Ginger mellows as it cooks, and like garlic, becomes bitter if burned.
Grab a ladle and serve in bowls with crusty bread or in shooters for a tasty appetizer!
How to Make in an Instant Pot
You’ll sauté the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and curry powder just like on the stovetop. Then pour in the rice milk and carrot juice before securing the lid. You’ll only need 3 cups rice milk instead of 4 when using an IP.
Pressure cook on high pressure for 6 minutes, then use a quick release. Add in the coconut milk, ginger and syrup after pressure cooking and blend to serve. Details are in the recipe card Notes.
Topping Ideas
Here are some garnishes for extra flavor and texture for your creamy carrot ginger soup!
- Carrot greens or other fresh herbs
- Sliced green onions
- Chopped pistachios
- Coconut cream or vegan sour cream
- Squeeze of lemon juice or lime juice
What to serve with carrot soup?
This soup can certainly stand on it own but if you’re looking for a fuller menu, here are a few serving suggestions.
Storage & Reheating
Leftovers will last in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week. A perfect soup for meal prep!
And you can make a big batch of this soup to have some now and freeze the rest for later. Store in freezer-safe bags up to 4 months.
To reheat, thaw if frozen and rewarm in a small saucepan over medium heat or microwave.
FAQs
You don’t have to! Since we’re pureeing the carrots, just give them a good rinse and leave the vegetable peeler in the drawer. Plus, most of carrots’ nutrients are in the outer layer and just beneath the skin, so leaving them unpeeled saves time and makes a healthier soup!
You can but you’ll need much less ginger powder because of its higher concentration. When substituting ground ginger for fresh, use ¼ to ½ teaspoon of ground for 1 tablespoon of fresh.
Carrots are a good source of beta-carotene, vitamin a, and dietary fiber. Plus, they’re relatively low in carbs, making it a great soup for those with diabetes or watching their blood sugar. And gingerol, the main bioactive compound in ginger, is known for its medicinal properties, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
More Vegan Comfort Food Recipes!
📋 Recipe
Vegan Curried Carrot Ginger Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (may use vegetable, canola, avocado or coconut oil)
- 2 pounds carrots , well-rinsed, peeled or unpeeled, sliced in ½-inch coins
- 1 ½ cups onion , chopped
- 1 cup celery , chopped
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
- 1 quart rice milk
- 1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk , regular or lite
- ½ cup carrot juice or orange juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup , or agave or honey
- 1 tablespoon ginger root , freshly grated
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Garnish: leafy carrot greens, sliced green onions, chopped pistachios, coconut cream
Instructions
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, and celery. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté stirring occasionally until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.
- Add garlic and curry powder; cook 1 minute more, stirring frequently.
- Add the rice milk, coconut milk, and carrot juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Remove from heat.
- Blend with an immersion blender or work in batches to puree the vegetables in a high-speed blender. Do not fill the blender more than halfway, and partially cover the hole in the lid with a dishtowel to allow steam to escape.
- Pour each batch of pureed soup in another pot and keep warm on medium-low heat.
- Once all the vegetables are pureed stir in the syrup and ginger. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool, cover, and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat when ready to serve along with suggested toppings.
Notes
To substitute ground ginger for fresh:
You’ll need less ginger powder because of its higher concentration. Use ¼ to ½ teaspoon of ground for 1 tablespoon of fresh.Storage & Reheating
To store, leftovers will last in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week. To freeze, let soup cool completely then pour into plastic freezer bags. Lay the bags on a sheet pan to make them flat and take up less room in your freezer. Once bags are frozen, remove sheet pan and store in freezer up to 4 months. To reheat, when ready to enjoy let soup thaw if frozen and rewarm on the stovetop over medium heat, or microwave.Instant Pot Instructions
- Select the Sauté function on your IP. Once hot, add oil, carrots, onion and celery. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add garlic and curry powder and sauté for 1 minute.
- Press Cancel. Add 3 cups rice milk and carrot juice. Secure the lid. Now select the manual function and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.
- When time is up, carefully use a quick release. Stir in coconut milk, ginger and syrup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Blend and serve as directed above.
Nutrition
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Michelle says
What a beautiful carrot soup! Really intrigued about the rice milk addition -- must give it such a creamy and delicious texture!
Kim Peterson says
Thanks Michelle! It does have a really velvety texture.😊
Laura says
Simple yet delightful. Best carrot ginger soup I have tried!! Thank you
Kim Peterson says
Awesome!! We absolutely love it. I often serve it up in shooter glasses around the holidays as an appetizer. 🙂