The BEST way to eat carrots!! The humble carrot makes an amazing creamy carrot soup – but when you sneak bacon in, it makes it over-the-top delicious!Â
This is a terrific carrot recipe to serve as a meal. Thick and creamy, savoury and sweet, Carrot Soup is quick to make, healthy, freezes brilliantly, and the only thing it needs is hot crusty bread for dunking. And I love the colour!
Creamy Carrot Soup is the BEST way to eat carrots!
When the end of the week rolls round and the cupboards are pretty bare, I can still bank on having carrots, onion and garlic.
And there are a handful of terrific meals that I can think of making with these 3 things – Carrot Pilaf, sautéed carrot in garlic butter tossed through pasta, a golden fluffy omelette stuffed with buttery julienned carrots, and this creamy carrot soup.
Clocking in at just 351 calories for a big bowl, Carrot Soup is creamy deliciousness that’s full of nutrition!
Bacon is the secret ingredient!
Though this creamy carrot soup does have a wee bit more in it than just carrots, onion and garlic, they are mostly pantry essentials with the “other” things being optional.
Like – bacon. 🙂 Crisp up some bacon in the pot before adding all the carrot soup stuff, and it makes the most amazing flavour base ever. It really takes the humble carrot soup to another level.
So I’m really hoping you have some bacon stashed away in the freezer (and if not – why not?!😉)
Health benefits of carrot
As rabbits well know, carrots are GOOD for you!! Here’s why:
- High in antioxidants which are important for good health
- High in vitamin A – for general well being and specifically, vision and immunity
- Rich in other vitamins, minerals and fibre
Carrot Soup looks pretty much like Pumpkin Soup. In fact, you could interchange the two photos and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference (errr, well except for the fact that I took those photos so I know which is which 😂)
There are also similarities in the flavour. Naturally sweet with undertones of savoury, and the same thick, creamy texture – even if you don’t use cream. I do use a bit of cream in this recipe – but it’s optional. It adds an extra touch of richness that can be substituted with a dollop of butter – or left out.
When I’m trying to be “healthy”, I leave the cream out of the soup then drizzle just 1 teaspoon on the surface. It tricks my simple mind into thinking there’s more cream in it than there actually is!
Also – don’t forget Soup Dunkers. Always an essential part of a soup eating experience! Here are a few of my favourites.
Soup Dunkers
– Nagi x
Creamy Carrot Soup
Watch how to make it
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Creamy Carrot Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 4 slices streaky bacon (~120g/4oz)
- 1 onion , chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 5 large carrots , cut into 1.5 cm / 3/5" chunks
- 1 litre / 1 quart vegetable or chicken broth (4 cups)
- 1/2 cup / 125 ml cream
- 3/4 cup / 185ml milk (any fat %)
- Salt and pepper
Serving:
- Fresh thyme or chopped parsley
- Cream , for swirling
- Crusty bread
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until golden. Remove from pot, cool then chop.
- Add onion and garlic into the bacon drippings. Cook for 2 minutes until onion is translucent but not browned.
- Add carrots and stir well to coat the carrot in the oil.
- Add broth, then stir. Cover with lid, adjust heat so it is simmering energetically (about medium). Cook for 20 - 25 minutes until carrot is very soft.
- Remove lid, turn heat off. Use a stick blender to puree the carrot (or cool slightly and do in blender).
- Add cream, milk, salt and pepper to taste. Stir. Adjust thickness with milk (or water), if desired.
- Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with swirls of cream, bacon and parsley or thyme if desired. Serve with crusty bread.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More healthy creamy soups
- Pumpkin Soup
- Roasted Pumpkin Soup
- Healthy Creamy Broccoli Soup
- Ultra low cal Creamy Vegetable Soup – a creamy soup broth without butter!
- Creamy Zucchini Soup
- Browse all Soup recipes
Life of Dozer
Enjoying the warm sun….
Absolutely delicious! I had never been a carrot fan as long as I could remember, but this soup is the game changer, so good that I would have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. What can I say, another fantastic recipe, Nagi. Thank you.
You’re so welcome Kathy, you’re converted now 😉 N x
Hmm… this was tasty, but a bit thinner than I had expected.
Could you please let us know what weight ‘five large carrots’ comes to? I used the six largest in the bag, and didn’t add any milk or cream, it was nice but runnier than expected.
Lockdown = no trips to the community garden = no fresh herbs, but we can live with that.
I used bacon pieces rather than rashers, easier to buy the weight I want (and scraps are dirt cheap in some markets so handy on a budget!). How long did you cook your rashers for? My bacon pieces were still soft rather than crispy, although they still tasted good.
It went nicely with the no-knead bread, and is a good midweek lunch when we’re both at home.
Thank you!
Hi Dawn, the texture here should be similar to pumpkin soup – ever so slightly thinner. I’d just cook the bacon until crisp – although I find bacon pieces tend to be more meaty rather than fatty – this may be why yours didn’t crisp up as much. N x
Nagi Nagi Nagi,
I never thought of making carrot soup before now and I am so pleased I found your recipe as it is EXCELLENT !!!! Have to say it was the best soup we have ever eaten !! Those crispy bacon bits and the thyme is what completes the dish. Parsley isnt really needed. Love love it love it….thanks so much Nagi and Dozer. Onto another recipe of yours now…….xx
You’re totally converted now – I’m sure a lot of people are skeptical about this one! N x
Wonderful tasty soup, bacon was such a great ingredient!
Soooo easy and yummy!! Perfect for late dinners ,the whole family enjoyed it . Added sour cream in the end as it’s a preference in our household.
Thank you Nagi ! Youre amazing 🙂
You’re so welcome! N x
Hi Nagi,
Can i add sweet potato? And if so, should i add specific herbs and spices? And would the ingredients increase as if I were adding more carrot?
Example, cream and milk.
Thanks !
Hi Roula, you can definitely add sweet potato – you can sub some of the carrot for sweet potato or you can increase the amount and adjust the other ingredients accordingly. N x
Hi Nagi. Single digit temperatures here in Johannesburg, South Africa right now call for hearty soups and yours are our favourite! I made this awesome carrot soup for supper last night for the umpteenth time! Everyone loves how the bacon adds to the flavour. Thanks for all your amazing recipes. Stay safe.
Hi Nagi
Do you think adding a handful of baby spinach will work?
Yes why not, any excuse to add some greens! 🙂 N x