Roasted Carrot Soup

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The cooking for this soup happens in the oven unlike most soups that simmer in a pot on the stove. With this one, seasoned vegetables roast on a sheet pan. Even though I wouldn’t consider veggie puree soups hard to make the usual way, roasting involves less active cook time.

You don’t have to peel the carrots. There is limited prep work for this soup. You just have to slice the onions and the carrots. Since all the vegetables are pureed in the blender once they are roasted and soft, there’s no reason to peel the carrots. Just make sure to rinse them off, so they don’t have any dirt on them.

Roasting vegetables enhances their taste. That’s because the heat of the oven caramelizes the carrots and onions. Their flavors become more concentrated and intense. It’s a great approach to making soups that have a base of pureed vegetables.

The Ingredients

This is what you need:

• Carrots: The freshest carrots will be firm and not bendy or soft. Just trim off the tops and slice them into 1/2-inch thick coins. You don’t have to peel them.
• Onions: Cut an onion into 1/2-inch thick slices. Try to keep the layers together. This will prevent any smaller rings from burning on the pan.
• Garlic: I keep the cloves in their skins when they roast with the carrots and onions. Roasted garlic has nice mellow flavor to go with everything else.
• Dried spices include a blend of cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, kosher salt and black pepper. The soup has a little heat and spice.
• Vegetable broth: Use low-sodium broth, so you can control the salt content and overall seasonings of the soup.
• Cheddar: Mild or sharp cheddars melt better. Avoid aged cheddars, which won’t melt as smoothly because they have less moisture. If you want the soup to be dairy-free and vegan, skip the cheese, but it won’t have as much depth of flavor.
• Parsley: I finish the soup with chopped parsley. You could also use minced chives for fresh herbs.

How To Make Roasted Carrot Soup

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

1. Whisk the olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. They need to be in a bowl that’s big enough for the carrots and onions.

2. Stir the carrots, onions and garlic into the olive oil mixture. Make sure they are well coated.

3. Spread the carrots, onions and garlic across a rimmed baking sheet. They should be in a single layer. You want maximize direct contact with the hot metal of the pan.

4. Roast the vegetables until they are caramelized and browned at the edges. This will take 35-40 minutes. Flip over the onions and toss around the carrots halfway through roasting.

5. Transfer the roasted carrots and onions to a blender. Squeeze the garlic out of their skins and pour in the broth and water and add the grated cheddar.

6. Puree the soup until smooth. After that you can warm it on the stove or in a microwave, as needed. Divide the soup into bowls and garnish with black pepper and chopped parsley.

How To Serve

Keep things simple and serve this carrot soup with a slice of crusty bread or make a quick grilled cheese sandwich. I always love soup with a salad too. Try this Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, Shaved Cauliflower Salad or Apple Cabbage Salad.

Leftovers

You can store the soup in an airtight container up to 3 days. To save it longer, you can freeze it up to 1 month. If you are going to keep it in the freezer, divide it into smaller portions rather than one big container to make it easier to thaw. Warm it in the microwave or on the stovetop.

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