Super Creamy Dairy Free Carrot Soup

This super creamy carrot soup is an essential fall soup season recipe! It is easy to make, wholesome, and perfectly spiced. The garnishes of pumpkin seeds, cilantro, and pickled red onions give it just the right amount of bright flavor and interesting texture to keep you coming back for bite after bite. Would make an excellent addition to your holiday menu! Whole30, vegan, gluten free, nut free, and dairy free.

The shorter days are tip-toe-ing in to our daily routine and state of mind as they always do this time of year.

I’m sure you can relate!

This year in particular I feel a strong call to embrace more nourishing habits; taking the time to stay active, indulging in creative outlets, and of course, staying connected to the food that we eat!

Because don’t most things come back to food?!

And I can’t think of a better way to start this chapter-of-nourishment than with a bowl of this super creamy carrot soup 😌

Soup is, after all, one of my love languages. As you can tell from all the soup recipes on NK!

Why you’ll love this carrot soup

It is:

• Super creamy
• Dairy free
• Cozy
• Nourishing
• Perfect for fall and winter
• Light yet satisfying
• Packed with veggies
• Whole30 compatible
• So delicious!

Ingredient notes

The simple ingredients comes together to create a perfectly balanced and incredibly satisfying soup.

Especially when you top it with the array festive garnishes! It’s also delicious on it’s own but becomes something really special when you add the pumpkin seeds, cilantro, and pickled red onion.

• Olive oil – Olive oil, ghee, or avocado oil are all fine fats to use to saute the vegetables.
• Onion and garlic – Two essential ingredients for just about any soup recipe!
• Fennel – If you’re fennel averse, don’t let the addition of fennel on the ingredient list throw you off. When sautéed until soft and starting to caramelize, the fennel flavor changes dramatically for a soft, sweet, aromatic addition to this soup! I promise you won’t taste a bit of licorice.
• Carrots – The star of the show in this soup. They can be large diced or sliced into rounds. Cutting them into 1/4 inch rounds is my favorite way to prep them because it’s fairly fast, and they’ll cook quickly.
• Dried spices – A simple blend of coriander, paprika, cumin, bay leaf, and optional chili flakes bring robust character and depth of flavor to the recipe. Not to mention some seriously cozy vibes!
• Broth – Veggie broth or chicken broth are both fine options. But think high quality! The better your broth tastes the better the soup will taste.
• Garnishes – The garnishes are one of my favorite parts of this soup. They add texture, brightness, and flavor. I recommend quick pickled red onions, pumpkin seeds, and cilantro. But you could also experiment with other herbs, alliums, and seeds!

You can find all of the pantry staples for this recipe on Thrive Market – a membership based natural products store that is like the Whole Foods of Costco but entirely based online and with the BEST wholesale prices.

I’ve been a Thrive Market member for 5 years and over that period of time have saved $4,283.42 on natural groceries! That is some serious savings.

How to make

This carrot soup is super easy to make. And after you’ve chopped your veggies comes together quickly, too!

Here’s the step-by-step

• Prep the pickled red onions. In a small bowl of glass jar combine the red wine vinegar, water, and salt. Stir until salt is dissolved. Add the diced onion and stir so that it is mostly submerged. Set aside.
• Sauté the veggies. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. When hot, add the diced yellow onion, diced fennel, carrots, and thinly sliced garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and starting to caramelize
• Add spices. Add paprika, cumin, chili flakes (if using), salt, and pepper. Cook for another minute or so, stirring frequently, until spices are aromatic.
• Add broth & bay leaf. Add broth and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Partially cover and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes – until carrots are super tender.
• Blend. Remove the bay leaf and transfer soup to a standard size blender, in batches if necessary, and puree until completely smooth. You can also use an immersion blender for this step.
• Season & serve! Season with juice of half a lime, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with pickled red onions, pumpkin seeds, and cilantro.

Some FAQ’s on prepping carrots for soup

• Do you need to peel your carrots? It’s up to you! You don’t have to peel your carrots, but if you choose not to just make sure you wash them well before using.
• How should you chop carrots for soup? Because the soup is blended before serving, how you cut your carrots is not super important. Just make sure they are in mostly equal sized so they cook evenly. I like to cut them into 1/4 inch rounds, because it’s fairly quick and they cook will fast.
• How long should you cook the carrots? Simmer the carrots in the broth until they are completely tender. The amount of time will vary based on the size of your carrot pieces – could be anywhere from 15 – 25 minutes. Super tender carrots = super creamy carrot soup!

What makes this carrot soup creamy?

Even though this soup is made without cream (or any dairy!) it’s still super creamy. This is thanks to the tender, simmered vegetables that are pureed with the broth. A high speed blender like a Vitamix is your best friend for an ultra silky, creamy soup!

If you don’t have a high speed blender just give the soup an extra minute or so in the blender until no pieces of carrot remain.

Storage

• Refrigerator: Allow the soup to cool to room temperature and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Freezer: This soup will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months. Move to the refrigerator to defrost overnight before re-heating on the stove.

Love this carrot soup? Here’s some other yummy soup recipes to try!

• Creamy Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Soup (Vegan + Whole30)
• Dairy Free Gluten Free Lasagna Soup (GF + Vegan option)
• Chicken Pot Pie Soup (GF + Whole30)
• Ultra Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder {Vegan + GF}

If you enjoyed this recipe, we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe. 

Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!

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