Why does butternut squash soup get all the hype? No more! Today, we’re here to lavish praise on this creamy carrot soup recipe. Here, sprightly fresh ginger wakes up the earthy-sweet roots, which are roasted on a sheet tray with peppers and shallots in the oven—no large pot or Dutch oven required. The high heat of the oven concentrates the sweetness of the vegetables; don’t be afraid of a few charred spots, which will add deep dimension to the creamy purée.
We call for chicken stock and cream here, but it’s easy to make a vegan version by swapping in vegetable broth and a dairy-free heavy cream substitute, like cashew cream or coconut milk. Cumin adds a smoky flavor, enhancing the roasted flavor of the vegetables, but you should feel free to add in more spices if you’d like: coriander, curry powder, or a few sprigs of thyme would all be welcome. You can whip the soup in a Vitamix or with an immersion blender—or even in batches using a Nutribullet. Either way, with just about 10 minutes prep time, this easy blended soup recipe is here to save your weeknight dinner.
While we suggest topping this carrot-ginger soup with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly fried shallots, we’re not opposed to using a store-bought garnish to make it an even easier lift. Other ways to round out your own bowl of comfort: a topping of crispy chickpeas, chopped fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, or a squeeze of lime or lemon juice. Stash leftovers in the freezer—it reheats beautifully.
All products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through the retail links below, we earn an affiliate commission.
What you’ll need
Vitamix Blender
$350 $330 At Amazon
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$30 At Amazon
Slotted Spoon
$11 At Amazon
Medium Skillet
$50 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
1
4
1
1½
¼
½
½
4
½
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425°. Place 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 2" pieces, 3 large shallots, cut into 2" pieces, one 1" piece ginger, peeled, halved, and 1½ lb. carrots, peeled, cut into 2" pieces, on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil over, sprinkle with ½ tsp. ground cumin, and season with kosher salt. Toss to coat and roast until tender and charred in spots, 35–45 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat ½ cup vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium. Cook 1 large shallot, thinly sliced, stirring often, until deep golden brown, 5–7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain; season with flaky sea salt. Let cool until crisp; discard oil.
Step 3
Transfer roasted vegetables to a blender. Add 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth and ½ cup heavy cream and season with freshly ground black pepper. Blend on low until puréed, then increase speed to medium-high and blend until smooth. If soup is too thick, thin with up to 1 cup water. Taste soup and season with more kosher salt if needed.
Step 4
Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, season with black pepper, and top with crispy shallot.
Do ahead: Soup (without toppings) can be made 3 months ahead. Let cool, then transfer to airtight containers and freeze. Let thaw in refrigerator overnight; bring to a simmer with 1 cup water in a medium pot over medium, stirring often; cook until heated through, 8–10 minutes. Or, microwave with 1 cup water in a large microwave-safe bowl in 1-minute increments. (Use water as needed if heating smaller amounts of soup at a time.) Shallot can be fried 3 months ahead. Freeze in a resealable plastic bag. Let thaw at room temperature before using.
How would you rate Roasted Carrot Soup With Crispy Shallots?
Leave a Review
Reviews (17)
Back to TopLoved this recipe! I made a mistake when ordering my groceries and ended up with 1 shallot instead of 4. But I just roasted that one and skipped the crispy topping—it was still great! I also subbed coconut milk for heavy cream, because that's what I had on-hand. Lovely, easy recipe for a creamy, veggie-full soup.
Nikki F.
Westminster, CO
3/9/2023
Easy to make and delicious to eat.
Anonymous
4/4/2023
This was pretty good. I don’t know that I’ll make it again, as the smell and taste is a bit close to baby food for my liking. I added shredded Parmesan which really elevated it. Low sodium broth was definitely the right move, I can imagine it being very salty otherwise. Served with crunchy baguette slices.
Kayleigh
4/17/2023
Very delicious. Even better the next day. Roasted a habanero pepper with the other vegetables - perfect! So worth making the crisped shallots. I used olive oil to do so, and then used that shallot olive oil to roast the vegetables (essentially reversing steps 1 & 2(
A Cook from Buffalo
Buffalo, NY
11/6/2023
This soup is sublime. I was really hoping it wouldn't be one of those recipes that promises something and ends up bland. I was blown away by the flavor. Any creamed soup might somewhat seem like baby food, but it's the flavor that makes it a magical recipe. Could be the roasted pepper? I didn't char my veggies because I don't like that burnt flavor in soup, but roasted until soft. I used a red onion for the soup and shallots for the crispies, cooking the onions in the pot with oil before adding the (unroasted) ginger. I basically followed a usual soup-making format. I simmered the roasted carrots and pepper with the broth in the pot with the onions, then pureed using my immersion blender. It blended up nice and smooth, almost as if I had used a Vitamix (have witnessed the wonders of a Vitamix but can't afford).
Yaronit
Vermont
11/8/2023
Alright, so this was delicious the way I made it, and I bet even better if I prepair the ingredients as listed. The thing is, I had a bunch of leftover buttered braised carrots from a pot luck that was not well attended, and no fresh bell pepper, but plenty of jarred roasted red peppers. Roasted the shallots and ginger for a bit then added the already cooked carrots to brown their butter and give them something extra, then proceeded with the rest of the recipe. I think the browned butter from the carrots did something extra, this was really satisfying, rich without being too much, and a breeze to make, especially since I didn't have to prep the carrots since it was already done. I did up the cumin a bit becuase I love the stuff, and ended up adding a bit of alleppo pepper when I was 1/2 way done with my bowl to change up the flavor profile. You could really go with any number of spices here to take it in different directions, I may try some szechuan peppercorns ,chilis and vinegar next time, or go the french route with some tarragon and sherry vinegar.
Sarah
Boulder, CO
11/9/2023