A basic low-effort carrot soup is always a soothing preparation. Try out this cream-free, fibre-laden soup made with red carrots and flavoured with bright citrus freshness.
During our flight to India, my daughter picked up an aeroplane ear. Not only is jet lag annoying, but the airplane ear also made everything worse for the teen! Though my mother-in-law indulged us in great home-cooked food, she just wanted something she could relate to. Soups are one she and I agree on. Since the red carrots were in season, the search went no further than creamy slurp-perfect carrot soup flavoured with orange juice for dinner.

What are red carrots?

Unlike the popular orange ones or the slightly exotic mixed colour bunch, the red carrots are a unique cultivar popular in India.  With a rich concentration of antioxidants,  these deep red carrots are long and more conical in shape compared to regular ones. To taste they are slightly saltier than regular fresh orange carrots. The lighter core tends to become fibrous if older. The red carrots can be used in salads, gajar ka halwa, or in sabzis (dry curry).

Can this carrot orange soup be made only with red carrot?

Not at all. The easily available orange carrots, the deep purple carrots (black carrots) or a mixed bunch will make plenty for this great soup recipe. Of course, the colour of the preparation will vary depending on the type of carrot you use.

Ingredients  for this red carrot soup

This bright and fresh red carrot soup is a perfect celebration of how delightful carrots are. With just 6 ingredients you can prepare this low-effort carrot soup
Oil: just a bit of a good quality oil works well in this recipe. This can be olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil. I have used avocado oil today as that is what I currently have in my pantry. You can also use butter or ghee to Sautee the vegetables.
Alliums: though not overpowering the gently roasted garlic and shallots create the flavouring in the oil that coats the carrots on roasting providing a beautiful aroma. If you are allergic you can avoid this. However, flavour the oil with some herbs like thyme or rosemary.
Red carrot: Choose a tender red carrot that breaks with a snap. Check that the core is not too tough and fibrous. This will not have a smooth mouth feel. You can use any type of carrot to make this soup. If you have garden fresh red carrots save the tender tops to add as the final.  garnish.
Vegetable broth: to cook the carrot I prefer using a gentle vegetable broth. You can make your own or use a lower sodium storebought one. Avoid the ones flavoured with bullion cubes as that masks the flavour of the carrots.
Orange juice: nothing beats the freshness of orange juice. I prefer to use freshly squeezed ones. However if you have store-bought ones, just make sure it is unsweetened.
Salt: to bring the flavoured together you need to season well. Since the broth added can carry salt, puree the soup, add the orange juice and try it before adding more salt to it.

Step to making carrot orange soup

The low-effort carrot soup is as the name suggests a perfect beginner recipe. As long as you can do a basic sautee, boil and blend( with caution) you can easily master this soup.
Prep work: To begin with peel and prep the carrots. Chop them into chunks and set aside. Crush the garlic and shallots or finely chop them.
Cooking: Heat the pan to saute the alliums and the carrots well in the oil. Now add the broth and let the carrots cook to soften on medium heat. Once the carrots are soft and tender. Take it off the heat. You can do this on the instant pot with saute mode and then change the setting to
Blending: let it cool for 10 minutes and then with an immersion blender blend till smooth. Take care as the liquid is still very hot. If using a manual blender, transfer the pieces carefully with enough liquid to blend.
Finishing up the soup: with the smooth blend ready, stir in the orange juice and mix it well. Usually, I don’t prefer reheating after this point. You can garnish with tender carrot tops, a bit of cream or other herbs. 

Meal prep and storage

This is one of the easiest soups you can make and store to warm up as you go. Yet there is a catch, the vibrant orange freshness is lost between the cooling and heating. So I prepare the steps upto carrot puree and store this. When warming up, add orange juice as the final step. This prevents the bitter flavours from developing from the citrus. The resultant soup feels just like the one you have freshly made, just taking less than 10 minutes of your time.

Stay connected

With blogging for nearly 8 years, I often find that my readers love simple recipes. In fact, this is often on the feedback that I receive as well as requests to add in more on similar lines. One of the most visited posts is about the foods to have after tooth extraction. This recipe as well is very tasty to have slightly chilled as a soft food.I hope you will enjoy this soup recipe too as much as we have. If you have some celery too, try this curried carrot celery soup. If you have a chance connect with us on our Instagram.

See you at the next post.