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–+ servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes

Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup with Coconut Milk & Quinoa

You'll want to reach for this velvety smooth, luxuriously creamy, lightly spiced soup time and again this season. Dress it up with quinoa or any grain or pasta you like!
Yield: 6

Ingredients

For the roasted carrots

  • 1 pound carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • Pinch salt and pepper

For the quinoa

  • 1/4 cup red quinoa white quinoa works too
  • 1/2 cup water

For the rest of the soup

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 3 medium garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon mild curry powder or your favorite curry powder
  • 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth plus a bit more for thinning the soup if you prefer
  • 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
  • 14 ounces canned coconut milk 1 can; full fat
  • 1/2 teaspooon kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste

For garnish

  • a few springs of parsley, chopped optional

Instructions

Roast the carrots

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius). Spread the carrots on a large baking sheet and drizzle with the 2 teaspoons oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Toss with your hands or a spatula to coat the carrots evenly and roast until tender and dark golden brown on the portions of carrots that are touching the pan, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Cook the quinoa

  • Rinse the quinoa well and drain water. Place in a small saucepan and add the 1/2 cup water. Put over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until fluffy and tender, about 15 minutes. Alternatively, cook according to package instructions.

Make the soup

  • You can start this while the carrots are roasting and the quinoa is cooking.
  • Place a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion and a little pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender, about 8 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and curry powder. Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.
  • Add the vegetable broth and the ginger and cook until the ginger is tender, about 5 minutes.
  • At this point, if your carrots are done roasting, you can add them to the soup. Otherwise, remove the soup from the heat until your carrots are roasted.
  • Once the carrots are done, transfer them to the pot. Working in batches with a blender or using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Return to the soup pot (if necessary).
  • Stir in the coconut milk. Increase heat to gently heat the soup to your desired temperature.
  • Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. If you prefer a thinner soup, you can add more broth at this time. I like this one a bit on the thicker side - like a thin queso - so it will have enough heft to hold the quinoa on top.

Serve

  • To serve, ladle soup into bowls and add 2 tablespoons of quinoa to the center. Stir around the edges if desired to help incorporate the quinoa (and because it is kind of fun and looks pretty!) Top with a bit of chopped parsley if desired and serve.

Notes

You can serve this without the quinoa or try rice, couscous, farro, or another grain or pasta that strikes your fancy. 

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 262kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 97mg, Potassium: 501mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 12635IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 49mg, Iron: 2mg