This delicious carrot soup is perfect for a warming lunch or supper.

For this simple recipe, you first roast the carrots with thyme at a high temperature, which brings out their natural sweetness. We recommend roasting double quantity of the carrots, as they make a fantastic vegetable side dish just as they are. Then use the second half as the basis for the soup.

You might be surprised to see that this creamy soup does not actually contain cream. It’s wholesome and nutritious, and very budget-friendly!

Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Equipment: You’ll need a blender or stick blender to liquidise the soup.

Vegetarian & vegan friendly

Storage: The soup will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, or can be frozen for a couple of months.

Ingredients

1kg carrots, scrubbed

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1 litre of vegetable stock (for stock cubes we recommend low salt Kallo)

25g unsalted butter

2 tbsp lemon juice, to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C. 
2. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil or parchment.
3. Prepare the carrots. There is no need to peel them, just scrub them and trim the ends. Then cut diagonally into chunks. Try to ensure the pieces are roughly the same size, so they cook evenly.
4. Toss the carrots with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Then spread them in a single layer on the baking tray.
5. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, turning half-way through. The carrots should be tender and lightly caramelized.
6. While the carrots are roasting, heat the remaining 1tbsp olive oil and cook the chopped onion over a low heat until it is softened but not browned (about 7 minutes).
7. Add the garlic, cumin and coriander. Cook for a further minute.
8. When the carrots are ready, transfer them to a large saucepan, with the onion mixture and vegetable stock. Bring the mixtureto a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes so the flavours can combine well.
9. Blend the soup until completely smooth. Add the butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
10. Serve hot soup with warm crusty bread.

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