Active Time:

45 mins

Total Time:

1 hrs 25 mins

Servings:

4

What's more satisfying than a hearty bowl of roasted carrot soup on a cool day? Rich in vitamin A and fiber, carrots provide not just nutritional value but rich flavor and color that gives this dish a pretty presentation.

Carrots are certainly the star of this roasted carrot soup recipe, in which onion and garlic complement but do not distract from the robust carrot flavor; roasting the carrots before blending them enhances their natural sweetness and concentrates the flavor. And while it looks and tastes smooth and creamy, this soup uses no actual cream.

Top with homemade sourdough croutons for added texture and bulk. Serve this carrot soup as a light meal by itself, alongside a salad, or as a starter to a cozy and comforting meal sure to please a crowd.

How To Make Carrot Soup, Step by Step

First, preheat the oven to 375°F. Toss cubed bread with oil, salt, and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until golden, stirring every five minutes.

After removing the bread from the oven, increase the oven temperature to 425°F, and put the bread aside to cool. You will use these croutons to top the soup before serving. (The yield is substantial, so if you don’t wish to use all of the croutons for the soup, save extras as salad toppers.)

Combine carrots, onion wedges, and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet; roasting the carrots and onions brings out their natural sweetness. Toss with oil, salt, and pepper, and arrange the vegetables in a single layer. Bake at the new oven temp for about 40 minutes, stirring halfway through.

carrots and onion on sheet pan for roasting for Roasted Carrot Soup — Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender. Add broth, sugar, lemon juice, and salt, and process until the blend is very smooth. Add butter and process again.

Whisk together sour cream, water, and the rest of the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

When serving, swirl in seasoned sour cream, top with croutons, and sprinkle with cracked pepper.

What Is Roasted Carrot Soup Made Of?

All ingredients for this roasted carrot soup recipe are common, budget-friendly, and widely available.

To make this carrot soup, you’ll need:

one loaf of sourdough bread
two pounds of carrots
a yellow onion
a lemon
3 garlic cloves

Choose vegetable or chicken broth as the base. You’ll also need olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, and brown sugar. From the dairy section, get unsalted butter and sour cream. (Although creamy, this soup uses no actual cream.)

blended Roasted Carrot Soup in blender — Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Is Carrot Soup Good For You?

Carrot soup is packed with nutrition. Just one medium carrot meets more than 100 percent of the body’s daily need for vitamin A, according to the Mayo Clinic. Carrots are also an excellent source of fiber.

Tips From the Southern Living Test Kitchen

Should you leave the peel on carrots for soup?

We prefer to peel carrots for soup. Though usually very thin, carrot peel can be a bit fibrous and chewy, an altogether unpleasant addition to carrot soup

How long does homemade carrot soup last?

If cooled and stored properly in the fridge, homemade carrot soup will last up to 5 days. Keep the soup and sour cream separate until ready to reheat and serve.

Is carrot soup vegetarian?

This recipe for roasted carrot soup can easily be made vegetarian: Choose vegetable broth instead of chicken broth as the base.

Carrot Soup Variations

Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin.

Ingredients

4 cups (about 8 oz.) cubed sourdough bread (from 1 loaf)
5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 tsp. black pepper, divided
2 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4-in. pieces (about 5 1/2 cups)
1 medium (7 oz.) yellow onion, cut into 3/4-in.-thick wedges (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 medium-size garlic cloves, peeled
4 to 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 tsp. light brown sugar
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon), divided
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. water
Cracked pepper

Directions

Make croutons:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss bread cubes with 3 tablespoons of the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper on a rimmed baking sheet; spread in a single layer. Bake in preheated oven until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes, stirring and turning croutons every 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool. Increase oven temperature to 425°F.

Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Roast carrots and onions:

Combine carrots, onion wedges, and garlic on a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper; arrange spread vegetables in a single layer. Bake at 425°F until fork tender, about 40 minutes, stirring halfway through cook time.

Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Puree roasted vegetables:

Transfer roasted vegetables to a blender; add broth, sugar, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Process until very smooth, about 1 minute. Add butter, and process until melted and smooth, about 30 seconds. If soup has cooled down considerably, pour into a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium just until heated through.

Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Make sour cream toppings

Whisk together sour cream, water, and remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Scoop into bowls, and serve:

Ladle soup evenly into bowls, and swirl in seasoned sour cream. Top evenly with croutons, and sprinkle with cracked pepper.