This soup is so easy to prepare your family pet can even do it. Well….almost.
It’s been a long time since I tried carrot soup. No hideous event occurred to make me go off it but if I had to choose between carrot and pumpkin, pumpkin wins hands down. While I love carrot juice, the idea of a boiled version just didn’t seem appealing. Somewhere in my convoluted mind things got all twisted because I forgot how soothing and sweet this simple soup can be.
What makes this soup interesting is the use of rice. Suddenly the soup thickens up a bit and takes on a creamy quality that potatoes can hardly beat.
Simple Carrot Soup
Serves 4
Preparation: 5 mins – Cooking: 30 mins
Preparation: 5 mins – Cooking: 30 mins
Ingredients
- 30ml (2 tbsp) butter
- 8 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 litre (4 cups) boiling water or chicken/vegetable stock
- 45ml (3 tbsp) rice, washed
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 5ml (1 tsp) butter
- mint or chervil, shredded for garnish
Method
- Melt butter and toss carrots and onions until coated. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, adding a little water if necessary. Add boiling water or stock, and rice. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Whizz with a hand blender or in a food processor. Return the purée to pan and reheat tasting for salt and pepper and season accordingly.
- Add butter, divide among serving bowls and top with herbs.
Serving Suggestion
- Especially in the winter this makes a good starter.
Serving Suggestion
- If you find the soup a tad bit too thick, add stock or water to thin.
- Add a chopped potato or two to the soup instead of rice if you prefer.
Mint with carrots. You just stumped us! What a nice spike to the flavor.
The Duo Dishes: I thought mint and carrots were a pretty standard combination, but maybe it’s more of a European thing. Glad you made a discovery.
One thing I like to add to my carrot soup is turnips! I love the added flavor it gives the soup. Your photo sure looks good!
Nice looking carrot soup. I like how vegetable soups can be so simple and yet so good!
I like the addition of the rice – sometimes carrot soup can be just too watery, and potatoes can make it too stodgy…
my rabbit couldnt do it, so we had rabbit stew instead!
Chuck: Turnips on their own do nothing for me but you’re right; I really must try them in carrot soup.
Kevin: I think it all comes down to flavour. The less ingredients, the more the taste of the main ingredients will shine through.
Jeanne: Rice was an interesting discovery for me too – try it!
Barnaby: LOL. At least you put the rabbit to good use.
This is a great recipe, again, from this website. My absoloute fave is the butternut squash, but the carrot is great and I popped in some garlic before cooking and snipped in spring onions for the garnish.
My first attempt at soup!
Tastes very nice.
Added in two cloves of garlic, two stalks of celery, half a dozen cherry tomatoes and a dashing of tomato puree.
Soon to be blitzed!
fantastic! bought a sack so had to use the carros somehow. I added oats instaed of rice – a lovely creamy effect.
Hi, to impart a little more flavour, try roasting the carrots in the oven for 20-30 mins, drizzled with honey and caratino oil (Red palm and canola) http://www.carotino.eu/uk/ available in ASDA
I have lots of carrots in my fridge so will be making your soup this afternoon. Will let you know how I get on.
Angie kempson
Made this soup this afternoon and it tastes very nice. Added some semi skimmed milk and parsley in the end and simmered for 5 minutes.
Try adding a cup of fresh orange juice to the soup.
Delicious.
tried this soup a few weeks ago and it was great! going to make more today!!
Delicious soup! I added garlic and a dollop of mint and I used half chicken stock half lamb stock…. Mmmmm!
Made this soup today as I had a big bag of carrots in the fridge. I used brown rice and had to cook the soup about 35 mins for the rice to cook. The soup was a bit thick so think I will try a tbsp of wholemeal plain flour to thicken next time which is what I use for other soups. Did bring out the flavour of the carrots though and made a substantial lunch with home made brown bread.
Thanks for the feedback, Dianne! It’s always appreciated. Adding flour to a soup to thicken it is an interesting idea and something I have never tried. Thanks for the tip!
I did try to delete my comment when I scrolled back and saw your advice about adding more stock/water if the soup was too thick but was unable to. But I have to say that what was leftover, I put in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days and then added some hot veg. stock, gently simmered about 5 mins and it was perfect. Have already bought another big bag of carrots (only 39p at Aldi’s) and cant wait to make another lot!
Wow so simple and sooooo delicious. I added some curry powder to give it some kick and it was just fantastic. My husband doesn’t even like carrots and he loved it, he finshed the batch off the very day I made it!!!!
Decided to ditch the convenience food and eat more healthly. Bought some organic carrots, looked up soup recipes online n found this. I’m in the process of making it. I can’t believe how easy and also how much fun it is to make ur own soup. Just at adding the stock stage. Will let you know how it turns out. This could be the start of something good.
…. Thank u .
Yes, it is the start of something good. i’m hooked on this soup. it’s absolutely delicious and so easy to make. I’d like to try and make tomato soup next. Do you have a recipie for this one too
I bought the wrong size bag of carrots when doing online shopping for first time, I added sweet potatos to mine and some cumin…Lush!!!!
HI…BOUGHT EXTRA BAG OF CARROTS ONLY 50 p…ASDA…MY CARROT SOUP IS COOKING NOW….WILL BE CHUFFED 2 BITS IF I LIKE ….. AS I HAVE NEVER MADE SOUP B4…..
How did it turn out? Did you like it?!
Just made it, I added 2 stalks of celery, teaspoon of ground coriander and clove of garlic. Really lovely, my 2 year old and 4 year old kids tasted it and love it too, great result! Thanks
Love it
Smells gorgeous, still love my Chicken Mulligatawny recipe but this is so easy and very tasty! 
Love it
Smells gorgeous, still love my Chicken Mulligatawny recipe but this is so easy and very tasty! 
x
the carrot soup was lovely i added a few sprigs of rocket that i grow in my garden! it gave it a lovly extra bit of pepperniss
Hi…. just made this lovely carrot soup, my first attempt of home made soup. I found it very easy to make and I am very pleased with the end result. I tasted the carrot soup after it came out of the blender and it was lovely needed no extra seasoning. I heated a small cup full and added a small amount of cream but I think it made it sickly and definately tastes better without. I will be bringing some to work tomorrow.
Thanx for this fantastic recipe. I just typed in Carrot Soup Easy Recipe & this was the first one I looked at. We’ve just enjoyed a brilliant,cheap,easy Saturday lunch. Well done Michelle.