This vibrant and creamy vegan carrot ginger soup is perfect for both early spring weather or the cozy winter months. I love the slightly spicy flavor paired with the sweet, creamy broth - it is refreshing and soothing all at the same time. It requires only 5 minutes of actual prep and 30 minutes of hands-off cooking time to serve my entire family!
I thought my creamy vegan pea and asparagus soup would be my last soup for a while, but this winter-like weather just won't quit! This yummy carrot and ginger soup is the perfect sweet, spicy, smooth and satisfying recipe to get you through any cold day.
I love the combination of onion, carrot and ginger during the chilly months when our immune systems are working just a little harder. The soup is rich, filling and soothing on the throat.
This carrot soup recipe contains no heavy cream, and the garnish of coconut cream from a can of coconut milk is completely optional. The focus here is on the fresh carrots and ginger!
Why You'll Love this Carrot Ginger Soup:
- Healthy and nutritious
- Easy to make with pantry staples - just 9 simple ingredients
- Requires only 5 minutes of actual prep - no roasting required!
- Can make ahead to serve later
- Perfect for entertaining
- Can serve warm or cold depending on the season
- Kid-friendly!
Ingredients
This delicious soup comes together with wholesome ingredients that you likely already have on hand in your pantry. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities.
- Baby carrots
- Ginger - freshly grated
- Extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
- White onion
- Low-sodium vegetable broth
- Fresh garlic
- Slivered almonds or raw cashews - or substitute oat milk if nut-free
- Salt
- Black pepper
How to Make Carrot Ginger Soup
This homemade vegan carrot ginger soup is really, really easy to make! I can prep it in about five minutes and then the 30 minutes of cooking time is totally hands off. This makes it a really wonderful meal for busy weeknights or days when everyone is on low energy.
This soup can also be made in the Instant Pot rather than on the stove top! I've included instructions for the Instant Pot in the recipe card below.
- Sauté the onions and garlic. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and translucent (about 4-5 minutes). Add the minced garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Add the broth, carrots, ginger and almonds. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer until the carrots are soft (about 30 minutes).
- Transfer to a high speed blender (or use an immersion blender). Puree the soup until smooth and creamy on the soup setting. Taste and add more ginger, salt or pepper if desired.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish. Garnish with watercress, chives, fresh parsley or micro greens if desired. You can also top with a drizzle of coconut cream or homemade cashew cream.
Helpful Tips:
- Use organic carrots and fresh ginger. Fresh carrots and ginger marry well to provide such amazing flavor and texture. To achieve the creamiest, freshest taste, it's all about the quality of the ingredients.
- Transferring to a high speed blender is worth it. An immersion blender works perfectly fine and you won't be disappointed, plus there will be one less thing to clean. However, I prefer using a high speed blender to pulse it to a silky smooth finish ensuring no small chunks.
- Add broth to thin if desired. If the soup is too thick, simply add more broth.
- Be careful when handling as it will be hot!
Health Benefits of Carrot Ginger Soup
This flavorful vegan carrot ginger soup is full of nutritious ingredients:
Carrots, the main ingredient here, are low in calories and offer dietary fiber and beta-carotene, which your body will turn into vitamin A. It's good for your eyes, skin, and immune system! I love roasting carrots and letting their natural sugars caramelize.
Fresh ginger can be helpful for digestion and is wonderful and soothing if you have an upset stomach. I definitely recommend trying a shot of freshly made ginger juice!
Either cashews or almonds can be used in this recipe, both of which provide plant-based protein and healthy fats.
I have made four batches in the past week because my family keeps asking for more - talk about a comfort food! I dial back the ginger a bit when I'm making it for the kids and they absolutely love it. You could certainly add more ginger if you want more of a spicy kick or if you're fighting a cold.
Fresh Ginger vs. Ground Ginger
Fresh ginger refers to the actual ginger root. It is typically grated using a microplane and has a sweet yet pungent taste. Fresh ginger is often used in soups because of its complex flavor.
For ground ginger, the ginger root is peeled, dried and ground into a fine powder. Its taste is less potent than fresh ginger and is more often used in baking or as part of a spice blend.
While you can certainly use ground ginger in this vegan carrot ginger soup recipe, the ginger flavor would be muted somewhat and therefore it is recommended that you use fresh ginger. It makes a huge difference!
Serving Suggestions
Salads: There is something about a soup and salad combo that really hits the spot. Try pairing this with a protein-packed salad such as a vegan protein kale salad, spinach quinoa salad or Moroccan quinoa salad.
Main dishes: While this creamy soup can be served as a stand-alone meal (especially with some crusty bread), it also works as a soothing appetizer for almost any entrée including olive oil and garlic pasta, chickpea shawarma bowls or even vegan taquitos!
Storage Instructions
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in either the microwave or on the stovetop.
This soup can also be frozen in freezer-friendly containers and kept for 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating to maintain the smoothest texture.
More Soup Recipes
Need more healthy recipes this soup season? These are some of my favorites:
- 1-Pot Creamy Carrot and Red Lentil Soup
- Easy Vegan Black Bean Soup
- Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup
- Creamy Vegan Zucchini Soup
- Creamy Vegan Carrot Soup
- Simple Cream of Asparagus Soup
- Easy One-Pot Vegan Pumpkin Curry
- Vegan Split Pea Soup
- Easy Instant Pot Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegan Thai Curry Coconut Sense
- Easy Vegan Blender Pumpkin Soup
This recipe is vegan, soy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free and peanut-free. If you give this recipe a try, please snap a pic and tag @eatingbyelaine on Instagram so I can see your creations!
@eatingbyelaine The perfect springtime soup - CARROT GINGER SOUP 🥕 #carrotsoup #carrotgingersoup #easyvegandinner #quickdinnerideas ♬ original sound - eatingbyelaine
The Yummiest Vegan Carrot Ginger Soup
- Total Time: 38 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vibrant and creamy vegan carrot ginger soup is perfect for early spring weather or the cozy winter months. I love the slightly spicy flavor paired with the sweet, creamy broth. It is refreshing and soothing all at the same time. I can usually pull together a batch of this soup in under 40 minutes and serve my entire family.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 large white onion, chopped (or substitute 2 large shallots)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 pound peeled baby carrots
- ½ tablespoon grated fresh ginger (grate about a 2-inch piece of ginger using a microplane)
- 3 tablespoons raw, unsalted cashews or raw, unsalted slivered almonds (not sliced or whole almonds) - substitute ⅓ cup oat milk if nut free
- Garnish with fresh micro-greens, watercress or chives and a drizzle of coconut cream or homemade cashew cream
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat; add onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute another minute.
- Add broth, carrots, ginger and almonds. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are soft, about 30 minutes.
- Allow to slightly cool. Transfer to a high speed blender and puree until smooth and creamy on the soup setting. Taste and add more ginger, salt or pepper if desired.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with watercress, chives or micro greens if desired. You can also top with a drizzle of coconut cream or homemade cashew cream.
Notes
INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS
- Add oil, onions, salt and pepper to your Instant Pot and press Sauté. Cook until onions are fragrant and translucent (about 4-6 minutes). Stir often throughout the saute process to avoid browning. I like to add the garlic during the last minute of cooking.
- Add broth, carrots, slivered almonds and ginger. Cover and cook high pressure 12 minutes, until the carrots are tender. Natural release.
- Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Alternatively you can use an immersion blender and puree it right in the Instant Pot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with watercress, chives or micro greens if desired. You can also top with a drizzle of coconut cream or homemade almond cream.
- Prep Time: 3 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop or Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Recipe adapted from SkinnyTaste.
Myriam says
Such a classic and so easy to make using your instant pot. I use just regular carrots. The ginger adds a nice kick to a classic
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Myriam! I'm so happy you enjoy this one too! I agree it is a total classic with a spicy ginger kick to make it extra special 🙂
Alexis says
I love this recipe, it's a constant in our house. The only question I have is in your instant pot directions, step 1, you mention adding garlic at the end. Garlic isn't listed as an ingredient and I was curious should I have been adding garlic all along?
Alexis says
Hi I tried posting this before but I'm not sure what happened. I love this recipe, it is a constant in our home. In step 1 of the instant pot directions you mention adding garlic at the end. I've checked a dozen times to make sure I'm not missing an ingredient but garlic is not listed as an ingredient for this soup? Should it be? Could this soup get even better?
Elaine Gordon says
Hi Alexis! I'm so happy to hear you love this recipe. I apologize for the confusion. Yes, there should be 1 clove minced garlic in this recipe. That was an oversight. I will update it now. Thank you so much for catching that! And thank you for the five star review regardless! Best, Elaine