Name: Vegan Carrot Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups carrots, (about 6 carrots) peeled and coarsely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 cup celery, chopped; 1 small red onion (about 1/2 cup) chopped; 1 cup raw cashews; 1 red bell pepper, chopped; 2 Tablespoons Soy sauce (or Tamari); 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard; 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 6 cups organic vegetable broth; 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped; 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped; 1 carrot shredded

Without a doubt, carrots are versatile, yet under-rated vegetables. When I was little, I used to eat carrots raw by the dozens, and my mom told me I would turn orange if I ate too many. Since then, I learned to transform carrots into many dishes, including this creamy vegan soup.

Not only do carrots bring substance and sweetness to salads, but they are an incredible base for soups.

OTHER INGREDIENTS USED IN VEGAN CARROT SOUP

Even though carrots are the base for vegan carrot soup, a lot of other ingredients are used to make the soup savory and delicious.

Red onion, for example, is perfect for carrot soup because of its sweetness. Although strong-smelling, red onions are sweet, red onion enhances the sweetness of the carrots.

Another ingredient, red bell pepper, is said to be the sweetest and juiciest of all bell peppers. Again, this particular pepper was chosen to complement the carrot base.

Even though celery appears to be flavorless, it provides flavors and feelings of umami and brings depth to a recipe. Celery, therefore, roasted with the other vegetables, heightens the flavors of the other vegetables in the casserole dish.

Raw cashews, however, are roasted with the vegetables in order to give it a nutty, buttery flavor naturally.

Furthermore, the combination of soy sauce and dijon, mixed with herbs and spices, flavors and roasts into all the vegetables.

ROASTING VEGETABLES FOR VEGAN CARROT SOUP

In order to try something a little different, I chose to roast my vegetables, cashews, and other ingredients in a casserole dish. Roasting vegetables with the cashews and other ingredients allows the flavors to meld together in the oven instead of the soup pot.

Since I planned ahead, I coarsely chopped all the vegetables and added raw cashews. When I was ready to make my soup, I combined all the ingredients in a bowl and tossed with dijon mustard, soy sauce, and the added herbs and spices.

Once combined, I returned everything to the casserole dish and roasted for 45 minutes.

As soon as the vegetables are done roasting, I simply remove the cover and allow it to cool. As a result, the vegetables are ready to be blended for the vegan carrot soup recipe.

NUT-FREE ALTERNATIVE FOR VEGAN CARROT SOUP

If you are allergic to nuts or prefer a different option, baking potatoes can be used in place of cashews. Potatoes, like cashews, when blended create a creamy alternative to using nuts.

Additionally, potatoes can be roasted in the same casserole dish, similar to the cashews. For that reason, potatoes are the perfect alternative to using cashews in the vegan carrot soup recipe.

HELPFUL TIPS FOR SAVING TIME WHILE COOKING

As I suggested earlier, all the vegetables can be coarsely chopped a few days before making the soup.

Not only will this save you time, but it makes it easy to create a variety of recipes that have the same ingredients at one time.

For example, if I am making vegan carrot soup, and I am also making Skinny Vegan Rainbow Salad or Vegan Meatloaf, I need carrots for all three recipes.

To speed up the chopping process, I use my Kitchen Aid Food Processor. I also love my Pro Vegetable Chopper, which allows me to cut all my vegetables the same size.

Another trick is to use a high-speed blender that works well for soups, sauces, and anything else you need to blend quickly. For example, I love my Nutri-bullet blender, and my Nutri-bullet was half the price of a Vitamix.

Actually, I returned my Vitamix and bought my Nutri-bullet , years ago after struggling to get homemade peanut butter out of the blade of the Vitamix.

Don’t have a high-speed blender? No worries; just use a food processor, and process in small batches.

BLENDING AND SERVING VEGAN CARROT SOUP

After the vegetables are roasted and cooled, it is time to make the soup. To make it easier, you can blend one cup of roasted vegetables with one cup of vegetable broth at a time.

It’s important, though, to make sure you get a smooth texture after each blending cycle. Of course, you can blend the soup all at once, if you have a large blender.

Next, you return the vegan carrot soup to a soup pot and heat through until you are ready to serve.

Then, garnish with fresh carrot shreds and parsley and dill.

If you love soup, as much as I love soup, check out some of my favorite soup recipes below:

6 servings