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!
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:
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High in antioxidants which are important for good health
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High in vitamin A – for general well being and specifically, vision and immunity
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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
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Ultra low cal Creamy Vegetable Soup – a creamy soup broth without butter!
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Browse all Soup recipes
Life of Dozer
Enjoying the warm sun….
Casey K says
Neary my two year anniversary of making this soup, and yes – made it this morning. I have made it more than a dozen times in these two years. I used Costco bacon crumbles since I had no packages of bacon. Also, no cream, so half & half worked just fine. I like to use white pepper for its flavor, too. How something so simple can be so delicious – another recipetineats miracle recipe. Thank you, Nagi!
Suze says
Hey! Do you think I can use Turkey bacon!
Diana says
Merci pour la recette. J’étais à la recherche d’une recette avec un peu de protéines et je suis tombée sur votre site.
J’ai déjà une recette à l’origine de soupe de carottes mais l’originalité du bacon m’a tout de suite charmé. Alors j’ai adapté votre recette avec des minis changements soient: rôtir les carottes au four pendant 30 min à 400 degrés Fahrenheit et mélanger les bouillons c’est à dire 3 tasses de bouillon de légumes et 1 tasses de bouillon de poulet.
C’était tout simplement délicieux. Milles merci car ma fille a un rhume et ça a été un succès .
Helen Moretti says
I made your carrot soup tonight, it was delicious! Mine turned out a little thinner than I would have liked. I’m thinking it may have been due to me blitzing the soup a little too much! Also, when I added the Bacon, it sunk to the bottom of the soup..:not sure why? Otherwise, will definitely be making it again!
Ann Wood says
Yummy. Really yummy. We like spice, so we added ginger and coriander this first time. DH who lives carrots and soup raved a lot. Followed to a T with adding ginger and coriander. So grateful I found you. Lottsa recipes I’m wanting to try.
Sarah says
Hi absolutely love all your recipes and can’t wait to try this. In recipe note 2 it states “if you skip the cream”. What would you substitute with if you do skip on the cream?
Nagi says
Hi Sarah, note 2 just refers to the nutrition and shows you the nutritional value if you skip the cream altogether. N x
Randy Brown says
Easy to make-great flavor!
Najihah says
Hi!
What cream did you use and what milk? Also, on your pumpkin soup recipe, it said “half and half” what does it mean? Does that also applies for carrot soup? Lmk!
Nagi says
Hi Najihah, I use thickened cream and full cream milk. The pumpkin soup can use milk, cream or half and half – which is a product commonly used in the USA (simply a blend of equal parts milk and cream) – N x
Jodie says
Hi Nagi I use the carnation cooking cream ( long life) for all recipes that ask for cream find it works just as good..
Making this on Friday loving all your recipes…
Zinta Erdmanis says
Made this soup tonight. A very tasty soup! I modified it for my aunt who just got the diagnosis of palliative cancer and has trouble eating solids-added dill (we’re from Northern Europe lol), no garlic. Threw in a bit of fresh baby spinach for extra vitamins.
I went through your recipes and plan to make many of them.
Thank you!
You are my go-to site for 99% of my daily meals!❤️
Sandy Holterman says
My daughter loved it and she is a picky eater!! Super fast and easy lunch. Thank you
Katherine Smyth says
Does this soup freeze well?
Nagi says
Hi Katherine, yes it does!! Great for making a big batch for emergencies! N x
Cathy says
Wow – absolutely the most delicious carrot soup recipe ever! I make it for my elderly mum who’s in aged care. She says it keeps her going! Thank-you so much Nagi, we adore your recipes!! Cathy, Oz
Kathy says
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.
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Kathy, you’re converted now 😉 N x
Dawn says
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!
Nagi says
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
Bundy Girl says
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
Nagi says
You’re totally converted now – I’m sure a lot of people are skeptical about this one! N x
Antoinette says
Wonderful tasty soup, bacon was such a great ingredient!
Tania says
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.
roula says
Thank you Nagi ! Youre amazing 🙂
Nagi says
You’re so welcome! N x
roula says
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 !
Nagi says
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
Desiree' says
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.