Move over, butternut squash! Carrots are back and ready to be the new SOUPer star in this creamy vegan carrot soup. It’s rich thanks to coconut milk and subtly spicy from red pepper flakes, making it super warming and perfect for the transition from winter to spring!
The best part? It’s made in 1 pot with just 10 ingredients you may have around right now. Let us show you how it’s done!
How to Make Carrot Soup
Like any good soup (okay, there are some exceptions!), this creamy carrot soup starts with a flavorful base of onion, celery, and garlic alongside the carrots.
Then we add dried thyme, salt, and vegetable broth for flavor, and red pepper flakes for a touch of heat. We kept the seasonings subtle to let the carrots really shine!
Then it’s time to make this soup CREAMY! Coconut milk provides richness and enough liquid to blend into a thick yet velvety smooth texture.
We hope you LOVE this carrot soup! It’s:
Creamy
Savory
Subtly spicy
Naturally sweet
Warming
& SO delicious!
We love it topped with crispy chickpeas and croutons or served with toasted whole grain or gluten-free bread. It also pairs well with our Garlicky Sautéed Greens, Crispy Baked Pesto Tofu, or Lemon & Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs.
More Easy Carrot Recipes
- Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Perfect Roasted Carrots (Quick & Easy)
- Creamy Carrot Cake Smoothie
- Quick Pickled Carrots
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Creamy Vegan Carrot Soup (1 Pot!)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (if oil-free, sub water and add more as needed)
- 2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 pounds carrots yield ~ 6 cups)
- 1 medium onion, diced (1 medium onion yields ~2 cups or 320 g)
- 3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 stalks yield ~1 ½ cups or 150 g)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (plus more to taste)
- 3 cups vegetable broth (or store-bought)
- 1 (14-oz.) can full-fat coconut milk (or sub light coconut milk for less richness)
FOR SERVING optional
- Crusty bread (whole grain or gluten-free // or croutons)
- Crispy baked chickpeas
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the carrots, onion, and celery to the pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the carrots are starting to soften, about 7 minutes. Then add the garlic, sea salt, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add the broth and bring the soup to a simmer. Once simmering, cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are super tender.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the coconut milk.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until super smooth. Alternatively, let the soup cool for a few minutes, then blend it in a traditional blender.
- Season to taste with more salt and/or red pepper flakes. Serve warm with crusty bread and/or crispy chickpeas (both optional)!
- Store leftover soup in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warm.
Debbie says
This soup is so delicious, will make again. Thank you for sharing
Yay! Thank you for the lovely review, Debbie! xo
Linda says
I have made this GREAT recipe before & enjoy its color & taste as either an appetizer or a main course with basmati rice with a small amount of torn cilantro leaves folded into the rice (instead of a warmed bread). I also:
_added minced ginger to onion when warming the onion;
_substituted olive oil w/Vegan oat based butter;
_ground dried, whole nettles of thyme – to get a bit different aroma;
_Place rice @ bottom of the bowl and ladle the soup on top.
_Let the basmati rice, with small amount of torn cilantro leaves folded into the rice. Let the rice cool to close to room temperature before serving with the soup. The rice with additional steamed veggies is a good side dish as well. basmati rice with a small amount of torn cilantro leaves folded into the rice. LOVE YOUR RECIPE! Thanks!
Amazing! Thank you so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Linda! xo
Sunny says
Oh creamy bliss! My husband and I loved this soup. It’s so nourishing. I did make a few flavors swaps: coconut oil for the olive oil (to enhance the coconuty goodness), fresh minced ginger for the thyme (because ginger + carrot = ❤️), black pepper for the red pepper (I prefer it with ginger). But otherwise I followed the recipe. I even measured things! (That was a big step for me) The texture is amazing! Thank you for this decadent, quick recipe.
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Sunny! xo
Liz Smith says
Absolutely LOVED THIS! Added extra red pepper and topped with Curry Roasted chickpeas! So good!
Woohoo! Thanks so much, Liz!
MC says
I’ve been looking for an easy one-pot carrot soup recipe so when I saw this one come up, I was eager to try. I prepared it as written but used lite coconut milk and reduced red pepper flakes to 1/4 tsp. It’s seriously the PERFECT balance of flavors–savory and sweet and the richness of the coconut milk balanced with the red pepper flakes. So simple and delightful. Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Stella says
This was super yummy! I accidentally put double the amount of chilli flakes, but it just made it even better 😋
Ooo we love happy accidents! Thanks so much for the review, Stella!
Alison says
Super easy to make and very tasty! Followed directions as written. Would definitely make again.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Alison! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Dakota says
This tastes great and super easy to make!
I added some red lentils as suggested by another reviewer and served with sourdough. 5/5 – thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Dakota! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Allison says
Loved this recipe! I only had rainbow carrots, so the color was a little strange, but it still tasted wonderful. Perfect spring soup.
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed this soup, Allison. Thanks for the lovely review!
Elle says
Mhmm this soup is delicious! Love the taste of the garlic & carrot together. So creamy and flavourful. Will be making this again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Elle! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Kat says
Tried a similar soup that used a combo of turmeric spice mix and yellow curry spice mix, really good. (& they used zucchini too, yum.) I have to skip the garlic, but I think it taste better that way anyway!
Saving recipe for later. :)
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Kat!
Christina says
I made this last night after receiving the recipe in my email & it was so delicious. I added three quarters of a cup of red lentils. Thank you for this recipe. It’s a keeper.
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Christina!
DB says
Can you make this yummy soup in an instant pot?
Yes, that should work great. We’d suggest sautéing on normal similar to step 1. Then add the remaining ingredients (except coconut milk) and if the carrots aren’t fully covered, add the coconut milk before sealing. Then seal the lid and pressure cook on high for ~5-7 minutes. Let us know if you try it!