Creamy Carrot-Ginger Soup

A bright and cozy bowl of carrot-ginger soup might just be the perfect dinner to warm you up from the inside out. One of the keys to simple recipes like this is knowing how to build flavor with the ingredients you have, creating an end result more delicious than the sum of its parts. A soup with a simple ingredient list is truly the backdrop for good technique, so we start by making sure to cook it right, then finish with a lemony coconut drizzle that lifts up all the flavors. 

To start, it’s important to cook the carrot and onions first rather than just boiling them in broth. This crucial step helps develop nutty and caramelized notes that ultimately enrich the broth. Make sure to cook both the garlic and ginger until golden and toast the spices adequately to bring out their aromatics as well. You’ll know when they are done by the light golden color, but also by the lovely aroma that’ll start to fill your kitchen. Carrots and ginger — the star ingredients in this soup — are accented with cumin and coriander, both of which accentuate the earthy-yet-sweet flavor of the carrot and tone down the spicy ginger without dominating the flavor.

Stock is another opportunity to add flavor. Our preference is chicken broth, but we also recognize this soup is the perfect base for a meatless dinner, so we made sure it tastes just as good with vegetable stock. One thing to note for vegetable stocks is to first taste the broth and make sure you like the flavor; every brand varies so greatly and some have other spices in it. Second, pick one that is light in color so you do not throw off the beautiful bright orange color of the soup.

Look for firm, bright orange carrots with healthy peels that don’t seem dry. The stem end should also not look dry. Avoid any with small roots or cracks and ones that feel limp.

With help from these tips, we think you’ll find the texture of this soup is super creamy as is.

• Tender carrots are key for a creamy soup. When checking to see if the carrots are done, make sure that a fork or knife can easily be inserted and pulled right out.
• Don’t be afraid to turn the blender on high and leave it on for a good minute to ensure all the carrot is fully puréed.
• If you want to go super creamy and rich, blend a little coconut cream or heavy cream right into the soup.

Carrot-ginger soup is great as the main and if you want to doctor it up, go big with more toppings (some ideas below!) or serve bread alongside it. If you’re looking to serve it as an app, any main dish you like should go well after it.