This roasted carrot soup is creamy, bold, and comforting, the spiciness from jalapeno and chipotle en adobo playing beautifully against lovely roasted carrots pureed to perfection.
Jump to:
Carrots often get the short end of the stick, don't they?
Playing the supporting role in meal preparation, often served raw alongside other veggies with dip or chopped up and tossed into vegetable soups and stir-frys.
I'm guilty of putting baby in the corner. When I think carrot my mind subconsciously drifts to what I can pair with the humble orange vegetable. And because I love me some stir-fry.
But thanks to a picture of an impressively orange, beautifully styled carrot soup that showed up in my Pinterest feed, I've come to see carrots in a new light. Because I drank that glorious-looking soup up with my eyes, and then immediately wanted it in my tummy.
Fast-forward through several soup iterations and experimentations. And plenty of taste-testing.
The result? SPICY ROASTED CARROT SOUP.
Why You Will Love This Carrot Soup Recipe
- Perfectly Balanced Flavor. The thing about roasted carrots is that the cooking process transforms their flavor, bringing forward a beautiful sweetness. And if there's one thing I know about sweetness, it's that you should bring on the spicy! Jalapeno adds contrasting flavor making a sweet, subtly smoky, and spicy carrot soup. Try adding some crunch with these homemade tortilla strips.
- Easy to Make. I wanted this roast-y carrot soup to be easy to make but layered with flavor. In an, I want to be lazy and not have to go out of my way to buy obscure ingredients way, but I also wanted it to taste comfortingly complex. Like a warm, welcome hug from the inside out. Even better, you can totally multitask as you make this easy soup recipe. This is another great easy-to-make soup, Roasted Sweet Potato Soup.
- Reheats Great. Soups in general are a great make ahead dish! They reheat easily in the microwave or on the stove, and often taste better on the second or third day after the various ingredients have had time to mingle.
If you love veggie-based soups, you've got to try my easy black bean soup made with canned beans or this roasted cauliflower soup next!
Ingredients
- Carrots - Snag a 2-pound bag of carrots for this recipe, and peel and cut the carrots into quarters.
- Supporting veggies - Yellow onion (or white), garlic, and jalapeno play supporting roles in this carrot-forward soup. You could also use leeks instead of onion, or replace the jalapeno with a serrano. Use two jalapeños if you're feeling extra spicy.
- Seasonings - Cumin and smoked paprika for warmth, and a pinch of cinnamon just because - it adds warmth but also complexity.
- Chicken stock - You could also use beef stock or vegetable stock. Or use chicken broth instead. I often just go with whatever I have on hand, then adjust the seasonings at the end in case additional salt is needed.
- Chipotle en adobo pepper - Just one adds a hint of smokiness throughout the soup.
What's the secret to a good carrot soup? In my opinion, it's keeping the ingredients simple and roasting those carrots.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!
Variations - Suggested Additions
I have found that
- Chives - Add fresh chives at the end of cooking, and dried chives into the pot with the rest of the ingredients.
- Ginger - Ginger adds a nice warming zing, but use sparingly so it doesn't overwhelm the carrot flavor. Enhancing is the goal.
- Celery - Absolutely! Sauté a few stalks along with the rest of the veggies.
- Heavy cream - I think this soup is fab without adding heavy cream, but you could add a bit to make this soup even creamier. I recommend starting with a ¼ cup and slowly increasing until you're satisfied with the flavor and consistency.
How to Make Spicy Roasted Carrot Soup - Directions
To get started, preheat your oven to 425° F and wash and peel a 2-pound bag of carrots. Then cut the carrots into quarters.
- Add the carrots to a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Add the seasonings and rub them overall all the carrots until well coated.
- Bake the carrots for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until tender.
- Prep the rest of the veggies while the carrots cook.
- Cook the onion, garlic, and jalapeno in melted butter for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the roasted carrots, chicken stock (or vegetable stock), cumin, paprika, cinnamon, chipotle en adobo pepper, and a few dashes of salt and pepper to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high.
- Simmer for around 10 minutes with the carrots, no need to bring to a roiling boil. Then, bust out your stick blender. You'll want to reduce your heat to low or remove the pot from the burner as you blend. Blend, blend, blend until smooth.
- If your soup is a bit paste-like at this point (as it usually is for me), slowly add some water, blending after each addition, until you achieve the consistency you desire. I find I usually need to add at least ½ cup of water because I like my soup to be thick, but definitely not reminiscent of jarred baby food.
- Taste your soup, and add additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve yourself up a bowl. Okay, PAUSE. Upon first bite, the roast-y sweetness of the carrots hits then is followed by a smoky, subtle heat. It's a warming heat, the kind that slowly and delightfully builds. It's so addictive. Good thing carrots are good for you, right?
Pro Tip: As the carrots get where they need to be in the oven, prep the rest of the ingredients so that by the time the carrots are done roasting, you're ready to just toss 'em in and finish the soup. Boom. Multi-task for the win.
Expert Tips
- Storing leftovers: Store in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Serving: I like adding a few swirls of crema. It's nice and cooling against the spice of the soup. You could also add a dollop of sour cream or stir in some heavy cream. Or add some crunch by tossing in some croutons or crunchy pepitas. MMMMM.
- Just a pinch of cinnamon: When I say a pinch, I literally mean a pinch. Cinnamon is potent and we don't want the flavor so much as we want subtle warming effect it contributes to the soup.
- Puree with an immersion blender: Of course you can use a blender, but as a clumsy cook I try to lessen the risk of injuring myself and avoiding pouring hot soup into another vessel is one way I do that.
More Awesome Soup Recipes
If you tried this carrot soup recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Spicy Roasted Carrot Soup
Sweet, roast-y carrot soup gets spiked with a smoky, subtle heat to create a comforting complex Spicy Roasted Carrot Soup.
Ingredients
Roasted Carrots
Spicy Roasted Carrot Soup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, finely diced (or less if you don't want it too spicy)
- 4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 3 dashes smoked paprika
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 chipotle en adobo pepper
- 2 pounds roasted carrots
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- ½-1 cup water (optional, wait until the very end to add)
Instructions
Roasted Carrots
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Add prepared carrots to a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, add cumin, salt, and pepper. I like to give the carrots a light coating of salt and pepper, but add as much or as little seasoning as you prefer. Rub the olive oil and seasonings all over the carrots, until well coated.1 2-pound bag of carrots, Drizzle olive oil, ½ teaspoon cumin, salt and pepper
- Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, until tender. Don't worry if the carrots are a little firm, they'll soften up as they simmer in the oup.
Spicy Roasted Carrot Soup
- As your carrots roast away, begin prepping the rest of the veggies. Add 2 tablespoons (or two generous pats of butter) to a pot and turn to medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper. Saute for 8 to 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until softened.2 tablespoons butter, 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced, 2 cloves garlic, finely diced, 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, finely diced
- Add chicken stock (or vegetable stock), cumin, paprika, cinnamon, chipotle en adobo pepper, and a few dashes of salt and pepper, and increase heat to medium-high. If your roasted carrots are done at this point, toss 'em in too.4 cups chicken stock , ½ teaspoon cumin , 3 dashes smoked paprika, 1 pinch cinnamon, 1 chipotle en adobo pepper, 2 pounds roasted carrots
- Simmer for around 10 minutes (once the carrots have been added), then bust out your stick blender. No need to bring to a roiling boil. You'll want to reduce your heat to low or remove the pot from the burner as you blend. Blend, blend, blend until smooth.
- If your soup is a bit paste-like at this point (as it usually is for me), add some water. Slowly add water, blending after each addition, until you achieve the consistency you desire. I find I usually need to add at least ½ cup of water because I like my soup to be thick, but definitely not reminiscent of jarred baby food.½-1 cup water
- Taste your soup, and add additional salt and pepper, if desired.salt and pepper
Notes
*Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using an online nutrition calculator.
When I say a pinch of cinnamon, I literally mean a pinch. Cinnamon is potent and we don’t so much want the flavor as the warming effect it contributes to the soup.
- Storing leftovers: Store in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Serving: I like adding a few swirls of crema. It's nice and cooling against the spice of the soup. You could also add a dollop of sour cream or stir in some heavy cream. Or add some crunch by tossing in some croutons or crunchy pepitas. MMMMM.
Nutrition
Calories: 252kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 9gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 549mgPotassium: 1072mgFiber: 7gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 38518IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Tag #midwexican and tell us how it was!
Sienna says
If you like spice as well as flavour you will like this soup. My husband asked for a spicy soup and that is what he got. He liked the soup. I personally turned the spice down with cream and really enjoyed the creaminess of this soup. Both bowls were empty. I Will definitely be making this again.