Velvety Carrot Cilantro Soup (just 5 ingredients!)

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission. Full Disclosure Policy.

A very simple but amazingly full-flavored, warming and satisfying Carrot and Cilantro Soup, guaranteed to make you want to make this every single day!

Ingredients you probably already have, a very quick cooking time (under 30 minutes!), you’ll find this creamy carrot soup a lifesaver during the cooler months

I come from a family where a 3-course meal was pretty much the usual, especially in winter. This does not mean that our meals were fancy, but we definitely had a soup, a main, and (hopefully) some kind of dessert. I think that soup can BE the main meal if it is substantial enough, and you have some crusty bread on the side. Because bread is delicious.

The soup was usually budget-friendly and vegetable-based, while fruit was the main star in our desserts. Obviously, the main course varied. We’d make batches of soup, and freeze them, and bring out a different one every night of the week. It was AWESOME. I love having soup, any time of the year, but especially in the cooler months.

Everyone in my family has enjoyed this soup, as well as whenever I make it for company. I love having a big batch of this in the freezer in case we have unexpected guests for lunch or dinner. A soup to start can help stretch the main meal, with very little effort! Carrots, onions and cilantro are things we ALWAYS have, so I can make this from scratch pretty easily too!

Don’t forget to use the cilantro ROOTS, they are just as tasty as the leaves, and are essential to this soup.

SIMPLE. BUDGET FRIENDLY. FREEZER FRIENDLY.

This particular recipe is one of my all-time favorites. Super simple, and very budget-friendly, it has a fabulous depth of flavor. Velvety smooth and creamy (without even adding cream/sour cream unless you want). We love it, and it freezes really well. Perfect for pulling out of the freezer for a quick lunch, or for making your dinner stretch a little further!

INGREDIENTS:

• GARLIC – always a winner! Ramp it up or dial it back, depending on your tastes.
  ONION – dice this up finely so that it blends well at the end.
  CILANTRO – this is key, here. We want the cilantro ROOTS as well as the leaves. There is so much flavor in the roots, and they are essential to the deep flavor of the soup
  CARROTS – They don’t have to be pretty! You also don’t HAVE to peel them if you don’t want to. Just chunk them up and throw into the pot.
  VEGETABLE STOCK/VEGETABLE BROTH –  make your own roasted vegetable stock, or use store-bought. Chicken stock/chicken broth is also totally acceptable if you don’t care about this being vegetarian.

How to make this Carrot Soup Recipe:

1. Prepare the ingredients. Chop the carrots, dice the onions, mince the garlic and chop the roots and half the leaves of the cilantro bunch.
2. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan or dutch oven .
3. Cook onion, garlic and cilantro roots and leaves in a large saucepan or dutch oven.
4. Add carrots and turn heat up and allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Let it get really hot, and the carrots begin to brown.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Deglaze the saucepan with a little stock.
7. Add enough stock (about 3 cups) to cover the ingredients in the pan, bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium, and cook until the carrots are tender – about 15 minutes.
8. Once the carrots are soft, puree the soup in a blender (or use an immersion blender or food processor) so that it is nice and smooth. Add more stock if needed for desired consistency.
9. Check seasoning and adjust if needed.
10. Garnish with sour cream, and a fresh cilantro.
11. Devour.

FAQs and Kylee’s Notes

• The yogurt dolloped at the end is definitely a good addition, you may also use sour cream if you wish, or heavy cream if you have it.
• I recommend low sodium vegetable stock for making this. You control the salt content, and it remains vegetarian for those of you who are into that!
• Love soup recipes? Here are some of my favorites:
  • Butternut Squash Soup (with apple) – my all-time favorite soup, it’s healthy AND low-fat!
  • Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup – hearty and warming with just the right amount of spice, blended with cheese, topped off with jalapenos, cilantro, and crispy tortilla strips.
  • Chunky Loaded Baked Potato Soup– thick, delicious and like comfort in a bowl!
  • Thick & Creamy New England Clam Chowder – an old classic, but a good one! It has bacon, so I mean…
  • Best Ever Corn Chowder – quite a lofty title, but it’s true. It really is the best!
  • Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup (from Lemon Blossoms)
  • Avgolemono Soup (from Country Living)
  • ALL SOUP RECIPES:

WANT TO TRY THIS RECIPE?
PIN IT TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARDS!
FIND ME ON PINTEREST FOR MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES!

Velvety Carrot Cilantro Soup

A very simple but amazingly full flavored, warming and satisfying carrot and cilantro soup, guaranteed to make you want to make this every single day! 

5 from 9 votes

Print Pin

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American, New Zealand

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 181kcal

Author: Kylee Cooks

Want to scale this recipe?Simply click on the serving amount and move the slider up or down – the recipe will automatically adjust!

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 bunch cilantro including roots, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 5 large carrots chopped roughly
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock

To Serve

• 4 Tbs sour cream
• extra cilantro leaves

Instructions

• Prepare the ingredients. Chop the carrots, dice the onions, mince the garlic and chop the roots and half the leaves of the cilantro bunch.
• Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large saucepan or dutch oven .
• Cook onion, garlic and cilantro roots and leaves in a large saucepan or dutch oven.
• Add carrots and turn heat up and allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Let it get really hot, and the carrots begin to brown.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Deglaze the saucepan with a little stock.
• Add enough stock (about 3 cups) to cover the ingredients in the pan and cook until the carrots are tender – about 15 minutes.
• Once the carrots are soft, puree in a blender (or use an immersion/stick blender) so that it is nice and smooth. Add more stock if needed for desired consistency.
• Check seasoning and adjust if needed.
• Garnish with sour cream, and a fresh cilantro.
• Devour.

Notes

Substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock – it’s just as good, but won’t be vegetarian

Nutrition

Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 374mg | Potassium: 585mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 15245IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 0.8mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @kyleecooks or tag #kyleecooks!

Update: This was originally posted in 2014, and has been updated to improve reader experience.