Creamy Carrot Soup gets a little zing and a lot of zest from a double dose of chipotle peppers and fresh squeezed orange juice. This will be your new favorite soup to pair with a grilled cheese!
I’ve been surprised by several things along this blogging journey, but I have to admit one of the biggest surprises thus far is finding myself excited to make carrot soup. Seven years ago, the words “carrot soup” would’ve never even crossed my mind, and if they had, I probably would’ve crinkled my nose and wondered what kind of weirdos would make such a thing.
Well, friends, I guess it’s official. I’m a weirdo. In the last few weeks, I’ve made carrot soup not once, not twice, but three times. And I’ve enjoyed it every single time. I’ll admit, I did some tweaking along the way. The first go around, the soup was good, but a tad one dimensional. It tasted like (surprise, surprise)…carrots. While I find carrots quite delicious, I felt they needed a little something else to add both brightness and depth.
In round two, I added a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce and some fresh squeezed orange juice. Canned chipotle peppers are my secret weapon. They’re ideal for adding smoky heat to a dish without overwhelming it. The spice of the peppers won’t burn your tongue, but it will give you a nice, spreading, warm heat right in the back of your throat. Plus, you can use the leftovers to make one of these 20 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce recipes. Win-win!
The chipotles ended up being perfect for grounding the carrots, and the orange juice added a subtly sweet, zesty boost. Round two was a raving success. This was a darn good carrot soup!
Of course, then I committed one of the worst errors a blogger can make. I forgot to write down the measurements of everything I had used. A full week went by, and when I sat down to write this post, I realized I didn’t have a single ingredient in writing. Hence, round three. Oh well, more carrot soup for me!
For being comprised mostly of vegetables, this is a surprisingly rich and filling soup. I suggest serving it as an appetizer or having a small bowl alongside a gooey Air Fryer Grilled Cheese. Firey orange carrot soup is the new tomato soup! You can control the heat of the dish by lowering or upping the amount of chipotles in adobo. I find two teaspoons is about right for us, but it will have quite a bit of kick! Feel free to stir in a little Greek yogurt at the end if you’d like to add creaminess or cut the heat.
If you’re looking for more veggie-packed soup recipes, try this Vegan Lentil Soup, Spicy Sweet Potato Soup, or Green Pea Soup with Candied Bacon.
And if you can’t get enough carrots, this Honey and Thyme Carrot Saute is a must-try!
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Creamy Carrot Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 lbs carrots (peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch slices)
- 1 medium yellow onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 - 2 teaspoons sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Plain Greek yogurt (for serving)
- Smoked paprika
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or other soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion, and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and stir well. Cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the chipotle pepper, cinnamon, chicken broth, and orange juice and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until the carrots are tender. Blend the soup in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with smoked paprika and Greek yogurt, if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
- We find this rich and filling on its own, but you can always stir in some canned beans or cooked chicken if you'd like.
Nutrition
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