This eye-catching, vibrant Vegan Carrot Soup is quick and easy to prepare, mild in flavor, slightly sweet and ultra-creamy. You will love the ease of making it and your children will love to dive spoon-first into their bowls!
This time of year, I turn to easy soups as a way to get more vegetables in my kids. While they don't always go for whole vegetables, they absolutely love my creamy, colorful, vegetable-based soups. This eye-catching, vibrant carrot soup is one of their favorites. It is quick and easy to prepare, mild in flavor, slightly sweet, and ultra-creamy. Even picky little eaters tend to love this Vegan Carrot Soup! When I first made it for Riley she said "Mommy? Can you please make this every day?" Whatever gets more veggies into their growing bodies, right?!
Health Benefits of Carrot Soup
In addition to being good for your eyesight, carrots also offer dietary fiber while being low in calories. They’re high in beta-carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A. This is good for eye health but also your immune system as well as healthy skin. It's the perfect vegetable for both growing kiddos and adults! The almonds in this recipe provide plant-based protein and healthy fats. Blended together this is one healthy dish without any refined sugars or saturated fat.
Oftentimes, parents get nervous about serving soup to children (and especially to toddlers). I recently was sent these amazing kid-friendly bowls with a suction base from Miniware and it gives me a boost of confidence that my 16 month old won't knock the bowl off his high chair and make a huge orange mess (because he literally cannot). The plant-based, non-toxic bowls suction to the table or high chair making them fail-proof. And, the suction is detachable making the bowls easy to clean, convenient to stack and able to grow with my kids once they don't need the suction feature.
Serving Soup to Kids
I usually don't fill the bowl too much at a time for my 16-month-old son. I give him one of the Miniware teething spoons and let him spoon-feed himself. He loves the independence and I love the freedom, too. My older two girls use the Miniware bamboo fiber cutlery set. The rounded handles are perfectly shaped for little hands to easily grasp. They also have an anti-slip notch which catches on the edge of the bowl to prevent the spoon from slipping into the soup and making a mess (my kids think this feature is so neat!). I serve the soup slightly warmed to my three- and five-year-old and at room temperature for my 16 month old. I love that this soup offers simple, nutritious ingredients.
How to Thicken Vegan Soups
If you want a thicker, creamier texture you could add a dollop of my Easy Homemade Vegan Sour Cream for a tangy flavor or Easy Homemade Cashew Cream. I ALWAYS have a batches of these in the refrigerator because they're so versatile and I use them both all the time! It looks really nice when serving this dish to have a bit of cream in the middle of the bowl. Learn all about How (and Why!) to Soak Cashews in this post. Fancy!
What to Serve with Vegan Carrot Soup
I love to serve a creamy soup like this one alongside a hearty salad, like my Vegan Apple Arugula Salad with Candied Walnuts, Dates, & Feta. You could top it with Sweet & Spiced Roasted Chickpeas for a little bit of crunch or dip my Easy Almond Flour Crackers in it. Soup is also really good as a side for a grain bowl, such as Crispy Quinoa Falafel Bowls.
This carrot soup recipe is vegan, dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free and totally kid-friendly. If you give this recipe a try, please let me know! Leave a comment below, rate it above, and tag a photo @eatingbyelaine and #eatingbyelaine on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook so I can see your creations!
More Soup Recipes
Easy Vegan Black Bean Soup
Best Creamy Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Simple Vegan Cream of Asparagus Soup
Creamy Split Pea Turmeric & Red Lentil Vegetable Soup
Vegan Thai Curry Coconut Soup with Zoodles
Chickpea Soup for the Soul
Toddler & Kid-Approved Creamy Vegan Carrot Soup
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Description
This sweet and creamy plant-based soup is perfect for adults or children. You can make it on the stovetop or in your Instant Pot. Store leftovers (once cooled) in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 4-5 days. This soup freezes nicely too. Just be sure to leave a half an inch or so for expansion once frozen.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot, diced
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
- 4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth*
- 1 pound peeled baby carrots
- 3 tablespoons raw, unsalted slivered almonds (not sliced or whole almonds)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
- Garnish with a drizzle of homemade almond cream if desired**
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, add olive oil, shallots, salt and pepper and cook on medium heat stirring often, until shallots are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic during the last minute if using.
- Add broth, carrots and slivered 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 with the maple syrup if using and puree until smooth and creamy on the soup setting. Taste and add more salt or pepper if desired.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of homemade almond cream.*
Instant Pot Instructions
- Add oil, shallot, salt and pepper to your Instant Pot and press Saute. Cook until shallots are fragrant and translucent (about 3-5 minutes). Stir often throughout the saute process to avoid browning. Add the garlic (if using) during the last minute of cooking.
- Add broth, carrots and slivered almonds. Cover and cook on high pressure for 13 minutes. Turn off then immediately manual release.
- Transfer to a blender, add the maple syrup if using and puree until smooth (I use the soup setting on my high speed blender). 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 a drizzle of homemade almond cream if desired.*
Notes
*For a thicker soup reduce the broth to 3 cups instead of 4 cups. This is good if serving to little ones so it doesn't get as messy.
**To make the homemade almond cream, blend ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons slivered (not sliced or whole) almonds with ¼ cup filtered water in a high speed blender on the juice setting (stop and scrape down the sides as needed). For a thinner consistency add more water. For a thicker consistency add more slivered almonds 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Prep Time: 2 mins
- Cook Time: 18 mins
- Category: Soup
This post is sponsored by Miniware. All opinions are my own. My family is officially obsessed with Miniware children's dishware products. I love their modern, simple, yet functional design. They come in beautiful contemporary soft colors and are made from all-natural, eco-consious 100% bamboo fiber making them safe for my family and for the environment. In fact, when the product meets the end of its lifecycle, it is safe to burn or break down in soil just like plants.
St says
Curious why it has to be slivered almonds vs sliced.
Thanks!
Elaine Gordon says
Good question. For flavor and texture. The sliced almonds have almond skin still on them which provides a different flavor and texture then if you used the blanched slivered almonds. The blanched slivered almonds basically have no flavor - slightly sweet but not as nutty tasting. They blend up perfectly smooth and creamy too. It is a great vegan heavy cream substitute