Have you ever met a kid who didn’t like carrots? This naturally sweet vegetable shines in this easy, creamy carrot soup that adults and kids alike will love!
How wrong is it that I totally exaggerate the benefits of food to impress my kids? Carrots are good for the eyes; we know that. But did you know that carrots allow you to instantly spot a fire truck four blocks away? IT’S TRUE.
Plus, you can do it in about 30 minutes.
The basics of carrot soup
The key to carrot soup, unsurprisingly, is the carrots. If you can, try to get some bunches of the smaller carrots with the stems still attached. I find the big bags with stemmed carrots less sweet. Ultimately, though, you can use any carrot — even purple or white — and I’m not going to yell at you.
Additionally, this soup is a great starter vegetable soup for kids due to its ready availability and regular exposure to children.
Real speech, but not only are carrots good for you, they’re one of my favorite bases for a simple soup. They cook quickly and when mixed with a few simple ingredients transform into a smooth, rich and slightly sweet soup that’s a wonderful bowl of warmth on a chilly winter night.
CONTINUE READING:
A tip for sweeter soups
Make sure to cook your veggies over medium heat to avoid browning. When the onions turn brown, it can add a slightly bitter note to the soup and overwhelm the sweet carrots. If you get a few pieces of brown onion, feel free to scoop them out before continuing with the soup.
Curry carrot soup variation
I like to keep my carrot soup down to the ingredients so the carrots shine, but if you want to spice up this version a bit, curry is my favorite ingredient. Choose a mild yellow curry powder and start with a small amount (one to two teaspoons) if this flavor is unfamiliar to your kids.
Stir the curry powder into the onions as they sauté, then prepare the recipe as directed. You can add more curry powder while the soup is simmering if you want to enhance that flavor.
- You might also like our Carrot Ginger Soup Recipe!
Serving options for carrot soup
I usually serve this soup as a soup-and-salad situation with crackers, toast dippers (recipe below), or bread and butter. You can also serve it with grilled cheese sandwiches, like classic tomato soup.
Save and freeze carrot soup
Soups freeze well, and this carrot version is no different. Frozen carrot soup has a shelf life of up to six months and is perfectly reheated from frozen on the stovetop over low heat.
Dad adds: Cheesy Toast Dippers!
Throwing a handful of crackers alongside this soup is easy and delicious, but if you have the time, these toasts make the ideal side dish. I like to use a hearty baguette and generously sprinkle the slices with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. As it bakes, the bread is toasted and the cheese turns into a crunchy topping on each slice.
If you get it right, the toasts will be super crunchy and you’ll need to dip them in the soup to soften them up a bit! These are fine for kids too, so feel free to toss them on a plate. However, my kids preferred regular crackers.
The testimonial card
If you’ve ever painted a house, you know that painting isn’t the hard part. It’s the cleaning. The same goes for feeding soup to a two-year-old.
Children like soup, in my experience. They like to dip stuff in it, drink it, slurp it, spill it and spray it. So prepare yourself mentally that your struggle with soup will most likely start after dinner, especially if you have little ones.
My kids both tasted great with this soup and had full portions! They skipped the toast dippers and asked for regular buttered sandwich bread which I was happy to make for them. My four year old actually managed to NOT get any soup on the ceiling which was very special. My four-year-old, on the other hand, has always been a high achiever, especially in the food-slinging category.
More easy, creamy soups to try!
- Creamy White Bean Tomato Soup
- Easy Cauliflower Soup
- Roasted Sweet Potato Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Potato-Leek Soup
Simple carrot soup
ingredients
For the soup:
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2 tablespoon unsalted butter
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1 big White Onionchopped
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2 lb carrotspeeled and chopped
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3 clove garlicchopped
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1 teaspoon dried thyme
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4 cups vegetable broth
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1/2 teaspoon Salt
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1/2 teaspoon White pepperOptional
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4 tablespoon heavy creamdivided
For the garnish:
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paprika
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Fresh chiveschopped
ADD DAD: Cheesy Toast Dippers
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8th Baguette slicesabout 1/2 inch thick
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2 tablespoon olive oil
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1/2 Cup parmesan cheeseFinely grated
method
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Preheat the oven:
Preheat the oven to 400°F for the Cheesy Toast Toppers.
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Cook Vegetables:
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add butter and onions. Cook until onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes, but don’t let them brown at all. Season with a pinch of salt.
Add the carrots, garlic and dried thyme and stir to combine. Cook for 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant.
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Add the broth and let it simmer:
Add the broth and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover and simmer another 15 minutes, until the carrots are very tender.
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Meanwhile, prepare the Cheesy Toast Dippers:
Spread your baguette slices out on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Then sprinkle generously with finely grated Parmesan.
Bake toasts at 400°F until edges are browned and Parmesan cheese is beginning to turn a light brownish color around the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the toasts and set aside.
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Finish the soup:
When the carrots are soft, use an immersion blender right in the pot to puree the soup until smooth.
If you don’t have an immersion blender, remove the soup from the heat and let it cool until it’s no longer steaming. Then you can mix batches in a standard blender and return to your pot. Return the mixed soup to low heat and season with salt and white pepper, if desired.
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Serve soup:
Ladle the soup into bowls and toss about a tablespoon of heavy cream into each bowl. Garnish the soup with a pinch of paprika and freshly chopped chives. Also, add a cheesy toast spoon!
Leftover soup keeps in the fridge for a good 5 days, or you can transfer to freezer-safe ziptop bags and freeze for up to 6 months. Gently warm the soup on the stovetop over low heat.
Do not freeze the soup once you have added cream as it will most likely separate. In theory, it would taste the same after reheating, but I prefer to stir in fresh cream when serving and freeze the soup without the cream in it.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 178 | calories |
| 10g | Fat |
| 18g | carbohydrates |
| 5g | protein |
