Naturally sweet, carrot soup makes an ideal high fiber, low calorie delicious and easy healthy soup! Combine it with roasted butternut squash and you have a sweet nutty nutritious meal the whole family will enjoy! One pot, 30 minutes, and no cream needed.
For more pureed fall soups try my roasted butternut squash apple soup, pumpkin soup and tomato basil soup.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 138kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet carrot, apple and nutty squash with warm coriander, cumin, chili and ginger
- ✋ Difficulty: Chop, simmer, blend. Vegan, Keto and Whole30 friendly without the garnishes.
Quick Answer
In a large pot add 4 cups of broth, 1 pound of carrots, 1 pound of peeled butternut squash, a sliced apple, 1 cup each diced onion and celery, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon white pepper, 1 teaspoon coriander, ¼ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon chili powder and ¼ teaspoon ginger. Simmer on medium low for about 20 minutes until the carrots and squash are soft, cool 5 minutes, puree until smooth and garnish with croutons, sour cream and parsley or sage.
Watch How to Make It
Video tutorial:
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Do you like how we have just gone from an ice cream post to soup in the same week? That is Santa Barbara California weather for ya! One day it is cold and rainy and the next day it is sunny and we are eating ice cream. Then it is rainy again and I am pulling this carrot soup out of the freezer for dinner.
Notice how the most inspiring things come from how the weather determines your mood and by people you surround yourselves with each day? A good rule of thumb is to spend quality time with friends that lift you up and provide healthy nurturing relationships. Life is short and your time is precious and valuable on this earth. I didn't realize this so much in my 20's. I truly love spending quality time with my friends but since my children are getting older and my oldest is in T-K and sports I find my time with friends is very slim these days. In-between family time and the solo time with the kids you can find me baking away nourishing this blog; my creative outlet.
Play dates are especially important for children and for us mamas and papas to have time with friends maybe that be at the park, someone's home or in my case, at the gym. Well the other day I was working out with my friend Stephanie and we were brainstorming our favorite recipes. She is vegetarian and cooks super healthy, has two beautiful little girls and exhilarates amazing positive energy that is like a magnet to be around! One of the recipes brought about in conversation is carrot soup and how deliciously easy it is to make! I did not have a carrot soup recipe on the blog yet and both my boys love tomato soup and its rich Vitamin A and beta-carotene color that just glows at you saying "EAT ME!"
I rushed to the store, bought a few ingredients and tried this out with spices I had in the pantry. I have made this two ways and both ways were delicious but I have to say roasting the butternut squash prior to adding it to the soup brings out a sweetness from roasting.
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The vegetables are the cream. Most of the time the soup is naturally creamy simply from all the fibrous vegetables and not from actual cream.
- Apple sweetens it. One sliced apple rounds out the carrots and squash without sugar.
- Low heat keeps the nutrients. Boiling or over cooking can decrease the nutrients in the vegetables and kill the Vitamin C, so simmer on medium low.
- Roasting the squash adds depth. Roasting brings out a sweetness; simmering it raw works too and is faster.
- Even chopping cooks evenly. Butternut squash in about 1 inch cubes, carrots about ½ inch slices, onions and celery ½ inch diced.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- 30 minutes, one pot. Chop, simmer, blend, the same easy rhythm as my hearty vegetable soup.
- Low calorie and high fiber. 138 calories a bowl with no cream.
- Kid approved. When I served this at dinner their faces lit up thinking it was tomato soup. I even gave them the option to have bow-tie pasta for dinner or soup and they both chose soup!
- Vegan, Keto and Whole30. Skip the garnishes for Keto or Whole30 diets and choose vegan sour cream if vegan.
- Freezer friendly. I keep it in the freezer for rainy-day dinners, right next to my turkey sweet potato chili.
Key Ingredients
- 1 pound organic carrots - young smaller carrots will produce a sweeter carrot soup where using large carrots have a less sweet flavor.
- 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and seeds removed - or grab a bag of pre-diced and peeled butternut squash from your local grocery store.
- 1 medium apple, sliced - the natural sweetness. The apple zucchini carrot muffins are another way to use the bag.
- 1 cup onion and 1 cup celery, diced.
- 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth.
- Spices: 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt, ½ teaspoon white pepper, 1 teaspoon coriander, ¼ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon chili powder and ¼ teaspoon ginger powder. Ginger is great for helping tame an upset belly and fight the flu and common colds.
- Garnish: croutons, sour cream and freshly chopped parsley or sage leaves.
Full recipe ingredients and measurements are in the recipe card below.
Variations
- Roasted squash: slice the squash in half, set it upright on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for about 40 minutes to 1 hour until soft in the center, then scoop it from the skin 10 minutes before the soup is ready.
- Slow cooker: slow cooking this healthy carrot soup will keep the freshest taste as opposed to high heat. Cook on low 4 hours, then blend.
- Creamy: stir in ½ cup coconut milk after blending.
- Spicy: double the chili powder or add a pinch of cayenne.
- Other squash: acorn or kabocha work; see how to cook spaghetti squash and my stuffed squash recipe.
- Kids' version: serve it in a cup with a straw, the way my boys drink it, next to a slice of gluten-free bread.
How to Make Healthy Carrot Soup
1Chop everything first to prepare your soup. Do not worry about making sure every ingredient is super fine, but do make sure it is small enough to cook evenly. Butternut squash can be about 1 inch cubes and carrots can be about ½ inch slices. Onions and celery can be ½ inch diced.
2In a large pot add the broth, carrots, squash, apple, onion, celery, salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, chili powder and ginger. Cover and let simmer on medium low for about 20 minutes or until the carrots and butternut squash are soft.
3Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes, then puree in a blender until smooth. Then heat to the warmth you desire.
4Garnish with croutons, sour cream and freshly chopped parsley or sage leaves. If vegan, choose vegan sour cream. Skip the garnishes for Keto or Whole30 diets.
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- Save time. Use pre-diced squash or roast the butternut squash ahead of time. Once your butternut squash is cooked and cooled, store the squash in the refrigerator and scoop it from the skin 10 minutes before the soup is ready.
- Chop ahead. Chop all the vegetables ahead of time for a quick cooked meal in as little as 20 minutes.
- Do not overcook on high heat. Heating on low will still get you tons of nutrients from the broth.
- Cool before blending. Five minutes off the heat keeps hot soup from splashing out of the blender; fill it no more than halfway.
- Vitamin A powerhouse. Butternut squash and carrots are rich in beta-carotene and half a cup contains enough to equal more than 80% RDA of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is a vitamin that is known to help prevent blindness, help lower cholesterol levels and protect against cancer.
- Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. It thaws into the same creamy texture.
- Squash season, two more ways. The rest of the squash goes into butternut squash pancakes or a butternut squash pasta sauce.
Serving Ideas
I served both of my boys soups in a cup with a straw to prevent spilling and they sipped it up within minutes with a crunchy slice of buttered bread. For grown-ups, serve it with gluten-free cornbread muffins, a shaved brussels sprouts and squash salad, or as the starter before Korean BBQ stuffed acorn squash. Their other favorite is pureed pizza stew.
Carrot Soup FAQs
No. Simmering it raw in the broth works and is faster. Roasting it first (400 degrees F for 40 minutes to 1 hour) brings out extra sweetness if you have the time.
The fibrous vegetables do it on their own. Puree the cooled soup in a blender until smooth and it turns naturally creamy. Stir in coconut milk if you want it richer.
Yes with vegetable broth and vegan sour cream (or no garnish). It is also gluten-free, and Keto and Whole30 friendly without the croutons.
Yes. Add everything to the slow cooker, cook on low for about 4 hours until the squash is soft, then blend. Low heat keeps the freshest taste.
Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove.
Large carrots have a less sweet flavor than young smaller carrots. The apple helps; a roasted squash helps more.
Carrot Soup Infused With Butternut Squash
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Ingredients
- 1 lb. organic carrots
- 1 lb. butternut squash peeled and seeds removed
- 1 medium apple sliced
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
Instructions
- In a large pot add the broth, carrots, squash, apple, onion, celery, salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, chili powder and ginger. Let simmer on medium low for about 20 minutes or until the carrots and butternut squash are soft. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes then puree until smooth. Garnish with croutons, sour cream and freshly chopped parsley or sage leaves. If vegan, choose vegan sour cream.
- *Note: Chop all the vegetables ahead of time for a quick cooked meal in as little as 20 minutes. Skip the garnishes for Keto or Whole30 diets.
nathaly says
Really easy to make and delicious keep up the good work love your site.
Danielle at Delightful Mom Food says
Thank you Nathaly! So glad you gals made it!
Jody says
Thanks so much we so enjoyed eating it and was easy to make can't wait to try more of your recipies.
Danielle at Delightful Mom Food says
Thank you Jody! It is such a comforting easy soup!
Stephanie says
Just looked this up. Yum. Love what you did with the spices. I'll make your version soon, thanks. Honored to be mentioned in your blog too. You too exude positive energy Danielle!
Danielle @ Delightful Mom Food says
You are so sweet Stephanie and thanks for all your recipe inspirations! xo
Sue says
Just delectable, such a surprise. Thank you,