Carrot and Coriander Soup

This carrot and coriander soup recipe is so unexpectedly delicious! Sweet and savory carrots are cooked with garlic, butter, onion, coriander, cumin, cream, and more to create a hearty soup you’ll want to eat all winter long. 

For more amazing soup recipes, head on over to my popular posts for Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup, Creamy Butternut Squash Soup, and Best Ever Broccoli Cheese Soup. 

I know, I know, at first read you might think carrot and coriander soup? Really? Doesn’t maybe sound like something you’d typically eat in a soup. But let me tell you – it’s sooooooo sooooo very good. The carrots are cooked in butter until tender with onions and garlic in vegetable broth and then pureed with cream before being mixed together with all the amazingly yummy spices like coriander, cumin, lemon, and cilantro. This is one carrot soup you’ll be coming back to again and again. 

How to Make this Carrot and Coriander Soup

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Whole carrots – Fresh is best!
• Yellow onion – white onion would also work here.
• Garlic – I used minced garlic right from the jar, but you can mince your own. Any brand is fine.
• Butter – I use unsalted butter, but you can use salted butter if you want or whatever you have on hand. 
• Vegetable broth –Use vegetable broth to keep this soup vegetarian. If you don’t have vegetable broth, chicken broth works great, too. 
• Heavy cream or fat free half and half – Use whichever you like. Heavy cream makes this carrot soup very rich. Fat free half and half is still delicious, but the soup won’t be as creamy. For an even lighter version of this soup, replace the milk with additional broth.
• Salt and cracked black pepper – Use as much or as little as you like here. 
• cracked black pepper to taste
• Coriander, cumin – Any well-known brand works for these two savory spices. 
• Lemon juice – Fresh squeezed lemon juice is the best and gives everything a brighter, more citrusy flavor. But if you don’t have any lemons to squeeze then lemon juice from a bottle will be good too. 
• Fresh cilantro – Fresh cilantro is really optional. I like it for a garnish and a little extra flavor in this carrot coriander soup but if you don’t have it, no problem. 

Step By Step Directions

1. First, get out a large pot, and melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the garlic for 2-3 minutes, just until it starts to get fragrant. Then, add the onions, then the carrots and stir. (photo 1)
2. Next, pour in the vegetable broth. Bring the carrot soup to a boil, and continue to let it boil for another 10-12 minutes, or until the carrots are very tender. (photo 2)
3. Carefully transfer the carrot mixture to a blender and puree it til smooth (or use an immersion blender right in the pot). Transfer the carrot and coriander soup back to the pot. (photo 3)
4. Now stir in the heavy cream or milk and the salt, pepper, ground coriander, cumin, and lemon juice. (photo 4)
5. Now for the best part: Give the soup a taste and add more salt and pepper if you like. Stir in chopped cilantro and dive in! 

Why This Recipe Works

Whole carrots – while you can use baby carrots, whole carrots tend to have an earthier, sweeter flavor that I prefer in this carrot coriander soup. 

Simple ingredients – Most of the ingredients in this soup are probably already in your fridge and pantry, which makes this a great last-minute, no-brainer dinner recipe! 

Vegetarian – If you’re looking for a great vegetarian meal, look no further than this carrot coriander soup. To make this soup vegan, simply swap out the cream for your favorite plain milk alternative or coconut milk in a can. It won’t be as thick, but it’ll still be delicious! 

Coriander – Before this soup, I think coriander was the least-used spice in my spice rack. But boy is that about to change! Coriander is totally underrated as it adds so much depth of flavor to this carrot soup and so many other dishes. 

Expert Tips 

• Blending this soup is key to its creaminess. If you are using a blender, be sure to cover the top with a towel so that steam from the soup doesn’t cause the top to pop off or for you to get scalded. If you like a little bit of texture in your soup, you can always puree about ¾ of it and leave the rest as-is. 
• This carrot and coriander soup will keep in the fridge for up to a week. It also freezes great, and you can keep it in the freezer in an airtight container for up to six months! 
• While cilantro makes a great garnish and topping for this soup, there are other topping options. I also like to add chopped parsley instead of cilantro. Other great toppings include crumbled feta or goat cheese, pepitas, pine nuts, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), or diced avocado.

Try These Recipes Next

• Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
• Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Honey Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots
• Roasted Honey Garlic Glazed Carrots
• Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken and Carrots
• Carrot Cake Muffins
• Best Carrot Cake
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Did you make this creamy carrot soup recipe? EXCELLENT! Please rate the recipe below!