Description
This Easy Carrot Soup is a comforting, creamy, and naturally sweet soup made from fresh carrots, onions, garlic, and vegetable stock. It’s perfectly blended to a smooth texture and enhanced with a touch of thyme and heavy cream. Paired with cheesy baguette toasts baked to crispy perfection, this soup is an ideal quick and nourishing meal that comes together in just 35 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper (optional)
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream, divided
- Paprika, for garnish
- Fresh chives, minced, for garnish
Cheesy Toast Dippers
- 8 slices baguette, sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F: Prepare the oven for baking the cheesy baguette toasts later in the recipe.
- Cook the veggies: In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the chopped onions until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Avoid browning the onions. Season lightly with salt. Add the peeled and chopped carrots, chopped garlic, and dried thyme, stirring for about 30 seconds until fragrant to develop their flavors.
- Add the stock and simmer: Pour in the vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pot and let it simmer gently for 15 minutes until the carrots are very tender and ready to blend.
- Make the cheesy toast dippers: While the soup is simmering, arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle generously with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is lightly toasted. Remove and set aside.
- Finish the soup: Use an immersion blender directly in the pot to blend the soup until completely smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, cool the soup slightly, then blend in batches using a standard blender and return to the pot. Warm the blended soup over low heat and season with additional salt and white pepper if desired.
- Serve the soup: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and swirl in about one tablespoon of heavy cream into each serving. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and fresh minced chives. Serve with the warm cheesy toast dippers on the side. Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen (without cream) for up to six months. Reheat gently on the stovetop and add fresh cream when serving.
Notes
- The natural sweetness of carrots makes this soup creamy and flavorful without needing excess sugar or cream.
- The cheesy toast dippers add a savory crunch that pairs perfectly with the smooth soup.
- Freeze the soup without cream to avoid separation during reheating; add fresh cream when serving.
- This recipe yields approximately 6 servings, great for meal prep or family dinners.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1 bowl with toast)
- Calories: 178 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 863 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 29 mg
