This carrot and ginger soup with coconut milk is the perfect winter warmer. Cozy up with a bowl of this flavorful soup; you'll feel warm and toasty in no time. Made with only a few simple ingredients, this soup is easy to throw together on a weeknight. Plus, it's vegan and gluten-free, so that everyone can enjoy it!
But the lightness of this food comes overcharged with flavor.
The Maillard reaction, the chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugar, delivers the complexity of flavors, giving browned food its distinctive flavor.
This makes a great vegan fall recipe because the soup is extra creamy and cozy and packs a delicious ginger flavor that helps boost our immune system against the typical seasonal flu.
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💚 Why you will love it
- Cozy season warmer
- Simple ingredients
- Creamy texture
- Immune booster
- Flavor complexity
🧾 Ingredients
You will find the essential ingredients in your kitchen for this soup recipe. Considering they are pretty interchangeable.
- Fresh Carrots: The main attraction; carrots bring natural sweetness and a vibrant orange hue. High in beta-carotene, they make the dish as nutritious as it is delicious.
- Onion: Onions add depth and aroma and are the building blocks for a flavorful broth. They also lend a subtle sweetness that pairs well with the carrots.
- Fresh Garlic: Like in the stew, garlic amplifies the soup's flavor. Its pungency pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the carrots and onions.
- Apple Cider Vinegar (or Lemon Juice): This acidic element brightens up the soup. It also balances out the sweetness and richness of other ingredients.
- Fresh Ginger: The zing factor! Ginger gives the soup a warming, spicy undertone that elevates it from your everyday veggie soup.
- Coconut Milk (or Coconut Cream): For a touch of indulgence, coconut milk adds a creamy texture and a tropical note. Plus, it's a great plant-based alternative to dairy.
- Vegetable Broth: More than just a liquid, it serves as the flavor canvas for all the ingredients. A good quality broth makes all the difference, so choose wisely!
- Coconut Oil (optional): oil serves as the base for sautéing your aromatics. It ensures that the flavors meld together seamlessly, making the soup a cohesive dish.
If you want to get fancy, you can stir in coconut milk on top and fresh lemongrass or lemongrass paste, but that's optional.
🔪 Instructions
Making this zesty soup is super easy. Just follow these simple steps:
- Coarsely chop carrot, onions, garlic, and mince ginger.
- Stir fry the chopped onion and fresh garlic with a little coconut oil on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the fresh carrots and freshly grated ginger.
- Then, add the apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or white wine to extract all that flavor from the bottom of the pot.
- Pour the vegetable stock and let it simmer.
- Briefly cool down and blend with coconut milk, either in a blender or immersion blender, for about 40 seconds until you have a creamy carrot soup.
- Garnish with extra coconut milk, chopped green onion tops, and red pepper flakes.
💡 Expert tips
Use fresh ingredients for the best flavor. Fresh carrots and ginger roots significantly differ in taste compared to their powdered or older counterparts. Ensure your carrots are firm and the ginger is aromatic.
Simmer gently to preserve flavors. After adding all the ingredients to the pot, allow the soup to simmer on a low heat. This gentle cooking process helps the flavors meld together without boiling away the delicate notes of ginger and coconut milk.
Blend to your preferred texture. For a silky smooth soup, blend thoroughly for at least a minute. If you prefer a bit of texture, blend less or leave some carrot pieces unblended. Adjust the vegetable broth or coconut milk amount to achieve your desired consistency.
Adjust seasoning after blending. Taste your soup after blending, and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, or more ginger if needed. The blending process can sometimes dilute flavors, so a final adjustment is crucial for a balanced taste.
Garnish creatively to enhance the soup. A drizzle of coconut milk, a sprinkle of fresh herbs like cilantro, or some red pepper flakes can add color, texture, and flavor to your soup, making it not just a meal but an experience.
🥢 How to serve
Straightforward and Traditional: Serve this soup hot, directly after blending, for a comforting and warming dish. It's perfect as a starter for a fall or winter dinner or as a light lunch. Pair it with crusty Italian artisan bread.
Chilled Soup for Summer: This soup can also be enjoyed cold. After blending, chill the soup in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Serve it cold as a refreshing starter or light meal during the warmer months.
✅ Carrot soup benefits
This vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo carrot soup with coconut milk and ginger offers warmth on cold days. Carrots, the star ingredient, boast an unparalleled level of beta-carotene, transforming into Vitamin A for vision, cell growth, immune function, and heart health.
They're also packed with antioxidant carotenoids like alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin, reducing heart disease risk, and falcarinol, a flavor-giving phytochemical with cancer-preventing potential. Moreover, carrots provide Vitamin K for blood clotting and bone health, alongside Vitamin C for tissue growth and repair.
Another key component, ginger, offers significant anti-inflammatory benefits and medicinal qualities, including pain relief, immune support, and improved blood circulation.
Tip: Carrot greens can be used in stir-fries, soups, pesto, and salads.
Tip: You can also freeze ginger by grating it and then transferring it to an ice cube tray with water. Once frozen, transfer the cubes into a sealable bag. Add one or two cubes to smoothies for a kick of flavor!
🥡 Storage
Refrigeration and Reheating: To store the soup in the fridge, allow it to cool to room temperature before transferring it into an airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When ready to reheat, pour the desired amount of soup into a saucepan and warm it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it's heated through. If the soup has thickened too much upon cooling, you can add a little bit of vegetable broth or water to reach your desired consistency.
Freezing and Reheating: This soup freezes well due to its creamy texture without dairy. To freeze, let the soup cool completely after cooking and before transferring it to freezer-safe containers or bags. Leave a small space at the top of the container for expansion, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat thawed soup in a saucepan over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally.
🍲 More Vegan Soup recipes
Make sure to try this Fasolada Greek soup, the Tuscan white bean soup, and vegan pumpkin soup without coconut milk.
If you want a summery soup, try out the Andalusian Cold Spanish soup (AKA Gazpacho) recipe or the watermelon rind soup recipe on this site. Both are delicious and made in minutes!
Our delicious medieval green pea pottage is a fantastic, hearty, filling, and protein-packed meal.
If you like this recipe, you might also like this potato and carrot soup.
Finally, if you love spicy and zesty soups, like this one, you may consider trying our spicy cauliflower soup, and the spicy lentil soup.
In the mood for a light yet satisfying meal? Don't miss our cold cucumber soup, the perfect blend of zest and simplicity for any time you need a palate cleanser or a simple, soothing dish.
Hint: you can use carrot orange, and ginger juice remaining pulp in this recipe!
If you try this soup, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag a photo #ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!
🎥 Video
📋 Recipe
Carrot and Ginger Soup with Coconut Milk
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion medium, chopped
- 4 clove garlic smashed, stems removed
- 4 carrots medium chopped, about two cups
- 1 tablespoon ginger fresh, grated
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup coconut milk
Optional:
- sea salt and fresh black pepper optional, omit if following a WFPB diet
Optional toppings:
- chives
- pepperoncino
- shredded coconut and/or drizzle of coconut milk
Directions
Saucepan method
- Wash, peel, and chop your carrots coarsely.
- Stir-fry the onions and garlic and pinch pepper and cook until golden, occasionally stirring for about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass (optional), and apple cider vinegar, and then add 5 cups of broth. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the carrots are soft, about 30 minutes.
- Blend. Let cool slightly, transfer to a blender, add the coconut milk, and blend until smooth (about 1 minute). Taste and adjust salt and pepper, or even ginger, if you want it to be more gingery).
- Serve with a drizzle of coconut milk, if desired.
Instant Pot Method
- Stir-fry the onions, garlic, ginger, apple cider vinegar, and carrots in the instant pot using the stir-fry mode.
- Add vegetable broth and close the lid. Set to pressure cook at high (204 C, 400 F) for 15 minutes. De-pressurize.
- Blend. Let cool slightly, transfer to a blender, add the coconut milk, and blend until smooth (about 1 minute). Taste and adjust salt and pepper, or even ginger, if you want it to be more gingery).
Video
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutritional Disclaimer
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice. See our full Nutritional Disclosure here.
Affiliate Disclaimer
Please note that some of the links here are affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. I recommend all of the products listed because they are companies I have found helpful and trustworthy.
As the lead content writer and recipe developer at Our Plant-Based World, he combines his passion for health and sustainability with a Plant-Based Nutrition Certification to create accessible, delicious vegan recipes. His expertise in plant-based cooking supports the blog's mission of fostering a healthier, environmentally conscious lifestyle through simple and seasonal dishes. His commitment to making vegan cooking enjoyable and inclusive for everyone shines in each recipe and article.
Jess
Ths is the best flavor combo! Total comfort food on a chilly night!
Vanessa
Blown away by how delicious and flavourful this is. It’s now a staple for me. Thank you ??
Heather Perine
Love how simple and clean this soup is. Definitely going to make a big batch and start the new year off right! Thanks 🙂
Claudia Lamascolo
What a lovely soup anytime of the year and the addition of ginger really makes a delicious fall flavor!
Gus
Indeed! I always double the ginger... what can I say, we love ginger both for its flavor and immune system booster properties!