Description
This easy carrot soup is a creamy, comforting dish that highlights the natural sweetness of carrots. Made with simple ingredients like carrots, onions, garlic, and vegetable stock, it finishes with a touch of heavy cream for richness and is served alongside crispy, cheesy Parmesan toasts. Perfect for a quick and nourishing meal, this soup comes together in just 35 minutes and makes a satisfying appetizer or light dinner.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Soup
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper (optional)
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream, divided
- Paprika, for garnish
- Fresh chives, minced, for garnish
Cheesy Toast Dippers
- 8 slices baguette, sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 400°F to prepare for baking the cheesy toast dippers.
- Cook the veggies: In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the chopped onions for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent, being careful not to brown them. Season with a pinch of salt. Add the peeled and chopped carrots, garlic, and dried thyme, stirring them together. Cook for 30 seconds until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add the stock and simmer: Pour in the vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 15 minutes or until the carrots are very tender.
- Make cheesy toast dippers: While the soup simmers, arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with finely grated Parmesan cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are browned and the Parmesan is lightly tan. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Blend the soup: Once the carrots are tender, use an immersion blender directly in the pot to puree the soup until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, cool the soup slightly, then blend in batches in a standard blender. Return the blended soup to low heat on the stovetop.
- Season and finish: Adjust seasoning by adding salt and white pepper if desired. Keep the soup warm on low heat.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, swirl in about a tablespoon of heavy cream per bowl, and garnish with paprika and fresh minced chives. Serve with the cheesy toast dippers for dipping.
- Storage tips: Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 6 months without the cream. Reheat gently on low heat, and add fresh cream when serving to avoid separation.
Notes
- Natural sweetness of carrots makes this soup naturally flavorful and creamy without excessive seasoning.
- The cheesy toast dippers add a delightful crunchy, savory contrast to the smooth soup.
- For best texture, avoid freezing soup with cream; add fresh cream when serving if reheated from frozen.
- This soup can be made vegetarian by ensuring the vegetable stock is vegetarian-friendly.
- Use fresh herbs like thyme to deepen flavor, but dried works well too for convenience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1.5 cups) with 1 toasted baguette slice
- Calories: 178 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 863 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 29 mg
