Spicy Roasted Carrot Soup

This roasted jalapeno carrot soup is creamy, bold, and comforting, the spiciness playing beautifully against lovely roasted carrots pureed to perfection.

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 roasted 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 roasted carrot soup iterations and experimentations. And plenty of taste-testing.

The result? SPICY ROASTED CARROT SOUP.

The thing about roasted carrots? The cooking process transforms a carrot’s 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!

The jalapeno may be a vegetal star (hello, jalapeno poppers!), but here, today, it’s supporting the carrot in this sweet, subtly smoky, and spicy jalapeno carrot soup.

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.

Plus, you can totally multitask as you make this Spicy Roasted Carrot Soup.

How do you roast carrots?

Ingredients

• 1 (2-pound) bag of carrots, peeled and cut into quarters
• Drizzle of olive oil
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper, to lightly season the carrots

Instructions

1. For simple roasted carrots, wash and peel a 2-pound bag of carrots. Cut each carrot into quarters.
2. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Add prepared carrots to a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and add seasonings of your choosing. For this Spicy Roasted Carrot Soup you'll want to add cumin, salt, and pepper. It may seem an unlikely pairing, but the cumin adds an addictive and subtle citrus-y smokiness. I like to give the carrots a light coating of salt and pepper, but add as much or as little seasoning as you prefer.
4. Rub the olive oil and seasonings all over the carrots, until well coated.
5. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, until tender. And there you have it, roasted carrots!

What ingredients do I need to make Spicy Roasted Carrot Soup?

To make this jalapeno carrot soup you will need the following ingredients:

• 2 pounds roasted carrots (see above for instructions)
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 large cloves of garlic, finely diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, finely diced
• 4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 3 dashes smoked paprika
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 1 chipotle en adobo pepper
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ½-1 cup water (optional, but wait until the very end to add)

How do I make Spicy Roasted Carrot Soup?

Spicy Roasted Carrot Soup

1. 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. 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.
3. Simmer for around 10 minutes (once the carrots have been added), 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.
4. 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.
5. Taste your soup, and add additional salt and pepper, if desired.

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.

Serve yourself up a bowl. Okay, PAUSE. This Spicy Roasted Carrot Soup. 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?

What goes with spicy roasted carrot soup?

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.

How long does roasted carrot soup last?

Store in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

If you like this soup, try these other awesome soup options:

• Zesty Baked Potato Soup
• Creamy Baked Sweet Potato Soup
• Roasted Cauliflower Corn Chowder

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