Name: Carrot Soup
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon butter; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 stalk celery, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or parsley; 5 cups chopped carrots; 2 cups water; 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, "no-chicken" broth (see Note) or vegetable broth; 0.5 cup half-and-half (optional); 0.5 teaspoon salt; Freshly ground pepper to taste

Active Time:

40 mins

Additional Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

50 mins

Servings:

8

Yield:

8 servings, about 1 cup each

Nutrition Profile:

Nut-Free Soy-Free Egg-Free Gluten-Free

Jump to Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Notes

Is This Recipe Diabetes-Friendly?

This recipe just missed our diabetes-appropriate tag because, at 486 milligrams, it's a tick over the recommended amount of sodium per serving (480 mg or less). However, you could reduce the amount of added salt or use unsalted stock to make it fit our EatingWell diabetes guidelines.

Are Carrots Healthy?

Carrots are loaded with nutrition, including fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium. And while it's true that carrots are good for eye health, their antioxidants also help protect your heart, skin, brain and immune system while reducing inflammation.

Is This Recipe High in Fiber?

A 2-cup serving of this carrot soup will provide about 5 grams of fiber—which is about 19% of your daily fiber needs in one delicious bowl.

Overhead view of carrots with greens attached from Carrot Soup recipe — Photographer: Jen Causey

Tips from the Test Kitchen

Is Carrot Soup Vegetarian?

It can be! We like the savory flavor of chicken broth, but if you want a vegetarian soup, chicken-flavored broth (a vegetarian broth despite its name) is preferable to vegetable broth for its hearty, rich flavor and light golden color. Vegetable broth will work too, but it may darken the color. Sometimes called "no-chicken" broth, it can be found with the soups in the natural foods section of most supermarkets.

How Do I Make Carrot Soup Extra Creamy?

The easiest way to make your carrot soup creamy is to simply add cream after it's blended. (We prefer half-and-half to cut back on saturated fat.) If you want to skip the cream entirely, using a high-powered stand blender can give you light and creamy results. A regular stand blender works well too, but you may have to blend it for longer. When using any stand blender, be sure to remove the centerpiece from the lid and hold a clean towel over the hole to prevent burns.

Can I Make Carrot Soup Ahead?

Yes! Cover and refrigerate for up to four days or freeze for up to three months.

Frequently Asked Questions

I Don't Have a Blender, Can I Use Something Else?

If you have an immersion blender, it's one of the best tools to have when pureeing soups because it allows you to blend directly in cooking vessels like Dutch ovens and soup pots. Follow the recipe through Step 1, then puree the carrot soup with an immersion blender directly in the Dutch oven until smooth.

Angled view of a green pot of Carrot Soup recipe being pureed with a submersible blender — Photographer: Jen Causey

How Do You Balance Sweetness in Carrot Soup?

If this carrot soup is a bit too sweet for your taste, you can balance out that sweetness with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to boost and brighten the flavor.

What Can I Serve with Carrot Soup?

This carrot soup is delicious paired with grilled cheese sandwiches. Try it with Spinach-&-Artichoke-Dip Grilled Cheese, French Onion Grilled Cheese, Collards & Portobello Grilled Cheese or Spanakopita Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and a side salad to complete the meal.

Additional reporting by Carrie Myers, Hilary Meyer and Jan Valdez

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or parsley
5 cups chopped carrots
2 cups water
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, "no-chicken" broth (see Note) or vegetable broth
½ cup half-and-half (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until the butter melts. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and thyme (or parsley); cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Stir in carrots. Add water and broth; bring to a lively simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook until very tender, about 25 minutes.

Photographer: Jen Causey
Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Stir in half-and-half (if using), salt and pepper.

Photographer: Jen Causey

Equipment

Dutch oven, blender

Originally appeared: EatingWell Magazine, Soup Cookbook

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

176	Calories
8g	Fat
22g	Carbs
7g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Serving Size about 2 cups
Calories 176
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 22g	8%
Dietary Fiber 5g	19%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 7g	14%
Total Fat 8g	11%
Saturated Fat 3g	14%
Cholesterol 8mg	3%
Vitamin A 26874IU	537%
Vitamin C 13mg	14%
Folate 40mcg	10%
Sodium 486mg	21%
Calcium 81mg	6%
Iron 1mg	6%
Magnesium 28mg	7%
Potassium 795mg	17%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.