This Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup is simple to make with only 11 ingredients, and full of amazing flavor! Carrots, onion, fresh ginger and garlic combine with a can of chickpeas for extra hearty protein. Blended with coconut milk until silky smooth, this healthy vegetarian soup is one you'll want to make again and again!
Soup season is in full swing and this Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup is quickly becoming one of my new favorites! That flavor is just deliciously BOLD! A tiny chunk of fresh ginger is an amazing little ingredient!
This soup is really healthy, with a can of chickpeas add protein for a well-rounded meal, lots of veggies, and perfect for a cozy winter day.
I'll be making this again when garden season winds down in the fall and we're pulling carrots from the dirt!
If you love this soup, try my
- Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
- Butternut Squash Red Pepper Soup with Lentils and Coconut
- Cheesy Broccoli Zucchini Soup
Ingredients
Easy and basic, just 11 ingredients make up this soup, with lots of fresh vegetables and very simple seasonings.
- Carrots and Onions - Making up the bulk of this soup, humble vegetables, carrots and onions, are sautéed to bring out their natural sweetness. No need to peel the carrots or chop them perfectly, everything will get blended smooth.
- Salt - Never underestimate the importance of salt! It is a flavor enhancer that brightens the presence of each ingredient.
- Garlic - Always use fresh garlic! Lay your knife blade on its side on top of the garlic clove and lightly smash it with your fist. Easily take off the peel and give it a rough chop.
- Ginger - Fresh Ginger, wow, this little knobby root amazes me! For like 50 cents, the amount of flavor it adds to this soup is incredible! You won't need very much, I used maybe a quarter of the piece in the photo above. It gives it a little Asian flare without needed to get fancy with the spices. Use fresh, not powdered for this recipe!
- Honey - Honey gives a sweet warmth to this soup that balances everything out. You can sub maple syrup, agave, or a pinch of sugar for a vegan carrot ginger soup.
- Curry Powder - Just the basic dried curry powder is delicious here!
- Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) - I love adding a can of beans to a pureed veggie soup to really bump the protein and make a heartier meal. You can't really taste them when they are all blended in. If you love this idea, try my Tomato Soup with White Beans and my Cauliflower White Bean Soup with Crispy Prosciutto!
- Vegetable Stock - Use veggie stock to keep this soup vegetarian, or chicken stock if that doesn't matter to you. I think this soup has enough flavor, you could even substitute water.
- Coconut Milk - Another fairly amazing ingredient in my opinion! If you aren't used to cooking with coconut milk, it may look a little strange when you open the can. Kinda liquid, kinda solid, but don't worry, it blends right in! It adds the creaminess and a sweet flavor that pairs beautifully with the ginger. It's great to have a can in the pantry! Use the full fat, not low fat coconut milk.
- Fresh Cilantro and Feta Cheese to Garnish - These are optional but I love them! Cilantro is such a bright fresh flavor, and being from Wisconsin, I tend to put cheese on everything! I do love the feta that comes in a block in a tub of brine. A pinch of paprika gives you nice color too! Crumbled goat cheese would be a good substitute topping.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Prepare your Ingredients - I never peel carrots unless they are getting old and looking weird! Otherwise, just scrub them under running water with your hands and give them a rough chop. The peels are edible and nutritious!
Save the ends of your carrots and onions in the freezer for Homemade Chicken Stock! Peel and chop your onion, garlic and ginger. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the tan skin of the ginger. Extra unpeeled ginger will keep in your fridge for quite a while! They don't need to be perfect, everything will get blended smooth!
Saute the Veggies - Cook your onion and carrot in olive oil over medium heat until softened and beginning to caramelize. Season with salt.
Add the Garlic and Ginger - Cook just another minute until fragrant.
Stir in the Honey, Curry Powder, Chickpeas and Stock - Simmer everything together about 5 minutes or until the carrots are soft enough to be blended, taste one!
Add the Coconut Milk - Pour in the whole can, the liquid and solid parts, and stir well to combine. Simmer another 5 minutes.
Blend the Soup - You can transfer the soup to a high speed blender in batches, or use a hand-held immersion blender. If you've got a Vitamix, carrot and ginger soup is the perfect time to use it! Mine got this soup ultra silky and smooth in no time!
But, any blender should work, just keep blending until very smooth. You can pour the blended soup in a large bowl while you blend the next batch, then pour it all back in the soup pot when you're done.
The soup is ready to serve, but can also sit on a low burner if you aren't quite ready. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro leaves, crumbled feta cheese, and a pinch of paprika, just for color!
Storage & Make Ahead Instructions
Storage - Store extra carrot ginger chickpea soup in airtight containers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Warm in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Freezer - This soup freezes beautifully for 3 to 6 months. I like to freeze soup in glass jars, perfect single servings for lunch. If freezing in jars, only fill ¾'s full to allow room for expansion and cool them in the fridge first. Thaw overnight in the fridge and never run a frozen jar under hot water to thaw, it will crack!
Make Ahead - This soup is perfect to make ahead for busy weeknights or meal prep lunches! Just make the complete recipe and store in the fridge. Warm on the stovetop. If your soup gets too thick, just add a splash of water when reheating.
Substitutions & Variations
I haven't tried it, but I really think you could make this soup many different ways by varying the main vegetable. Swap the carrots for sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or cauliflower and keep all the other flavors the same. Leave a comment and let me know if you try it!
- Vegetarian - This carrot ginger chickpea soup is a great meatless meal, still hearty and full of protein. It's almost vegan, just sub the honey with agave, maple syrup or a bit of sugar.
- Dairy-Free - The coconut milk makes this carrot soup dairy-free, just leave off the cheese topping.
- Gluten-Free - Carrot Ginger Soup is thickened by pureeing loads of veggies and beans, no need for flour as a thickener.
What to Serve With Carrot Soup
This hearty healthy soup is a simple meal on its own, but soup is all about dipping! Serve it with a side of crusty bread or warmed naan or flatbread.
This Kale Apple Slaw Salad would also make a great side dish, especially in late fall when carrots, kale and cabbage are all ready in the garden!
You could also sub the feta cheese and cilantro topping for goat cheese and pistachio nuts, or fresh chives and a dollop of plain yogurt with pita chips.
Top Tip
The carrots in this recipe cook first when being sautéed with the onions, and then more when simmered with the stock. Just make sure your carrots are soft enough before you blend the soup. Taste one before adding the coconut milk. If it's too hard, let the soup simmer a bit longer.
Easy! If your soup at any point gets too thick, just add a little bit of water or more stock. You may need to thin it out when reheating after it has been refrigerated.
If it's a bit too thin, you probably just used smaller carrots than I did. No problem, just allow it to simmer over a low burner, stirring often. The steam that escapes will concentrate the pot of the soup to thicken it up.
More Favorite Soup Recipes!
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Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup
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Print Pin RateEquipment
- soup pot or Dutch oven
- high speed blender or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 6 to 8 carrots chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger minced
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 15 oz can coconut milk
- fresh cilantro and feta cheese to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add olive oil. Saute the onion and carrots, seasoning with salt, until beginning to soften and caramelize. About 12 to 15 minutes, stir occasionally.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook another minute until fragrant.
- Add the honey, curry powder, chickpeas and stock. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or until carrots are soft.
- Stir in coconut milk and simmer another 5 minutes.
- Puree soup either using a hand-held immersion blender or transferring to a high speed blender. Taste and add more salt or curry powder to taste.
- Garnish with crumbled feta cheese and fresh chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Carrots should be washed well but don't need to be peeled.
- Peel and chop a small piece of ginger, a little goes a long way! Measure 2 Tablespoons of the minced ginger.
COLETTE MARTINEZ says
It looks beautiful. Are there instructions to can this soup for future use as well?
Meryl Downing says
Hi Colette, sorry I did not test this recipe for canning. I'm sure it could be done, but I'm not an expert on canning so don't want to give advice! It does however freeze beautifully!