This healthy carrot soup is incredibly nourishing and filling. Carrots, garlic, sweet shallots, bell pepper, oranges, and fresh parsley nicely come together, creating hearty and sweet flavors and one DELICIOUS vegetable soup!
Recipe Notes
This hearty and healthy carrot soup is especially tasty due to the combo of simple ingredients and how you build up their flavors.
It's an easy and simple soup recipe, but here are a few notes to keep in mind when making this healthy dish.
Butter or olive oil: You only need a little to sauté the garlic, shallots, and bell pepper. It will nicely release their aroma and create a beautiful, tasty base for this soup. Of course, opt for olive oil if you want to keep it dairy-free.
Shallots: next to the carrots, the shallots are the star in this soup. Their mild and sweet flavors are released by sauteing them first in some oil. Although they are part of the onion family, they are much softer in taste with a garlic hint. They make this soup incredibly hearty. So, for this recipe, opt for shallots instead of white or yellow onions.
Bell pepper: Choose a red one. Its flavor is still sweet but much more on the softer side, nicely mellowing the taste of carrots.
Fresh parsley leaves: You won't notice its flavors per se. But it also balances the sweetness of the carrots while adding a wide range of vitamins and minerals (especially vitamin K and the immune-boosting vitamin C.)
Oranges: fresh orange juice enhances the overall flavors of the vegetable soup—adding a tangy delight. I am stirring it in at the end when the soup is done and pureed but still hot. Try to choose firm, full-colored, and thin-skinned oranges to get the juiciest fruits. I have even made it with blood oranges, giving this carrot soup a beautiful reddish color.
Vegetable broth: I usually go for a low sodium packaged vegetable broth to keep this recipe simple. If you want to use homemade leftover vegetable broth, you'll need about 4 cups.
This healthy and filling orange carrot soup with fresh parsley leaves is a recipe you have to try! And everything comes together easily and in one pot.
Storing tips
Any leftovers are easily stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days.
For longer storage, transfer the soup to freezer-safe containers. I like to freeze them in individual-sized portions and only take out what I need for a quick lunch or light dinner.
Usually, I take the soup out the freezer the night before I want to enjoy it, but that is unnecessary. You can place the frozen soup straight into the saucepan and warm over low heat. You can also add some extra vegetable or chicken broth when reheating it to thin it out just a little—always taste test and add more seasoning if desired.
Toppings and Garnishes
Extra Parsley: I love to garnish this soup with extra parsley—but I am a lover of this herb packed with antioxidants. It also creates a beautiful contrasting color.
Lightly salted peanuts: This is, of course, optional and omit if you have any nut allergies. They pair well with this soup, and they taste so darn good, adding a salty, sweet, and oily crunch.
Red pepper flakes: If you love a little heat in your soup, then add a few red pepper flakes. It compliments this hearty dish. Or, if you can find them, try chili roasted peanuts.
Vegetable chips or rice crackers: You can also serve it with your favorite healthy veggie crisps like TARO chips from TERRA (I'll leave a link below in my notes.) or multiseed crackers from Crunchmaster—delicious.
MORE SOUP RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
Looking for more hearty vegetable soups? Then try my Healthy Butternut Squash-Zucchini and Rosemary Soup. It has wonderful Italian flavors. Another beautiful creamy orange soup is my Red Kuri Squash Soup Recipe. This one is also Dairy-free.
Two creamy, vegan, and nut-infused soup favorites are the Comforting and Protein-rich Pea Soup and the Easy Pea Soup with Cilantro and Pistachios.
For potato or noodle lovers, try the Creamy Sweet Potato and Buckwheat Noodle Soup or my Homemade Vegetable Soup.
And I love making my own classic bone broth, especially in the winter. Give it a try. Enjoy!
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HEALTHY CARROT SOUP WITH FRESH PARSLEY
Easy and healthy carrot soup with garlic, sweet shallots, bell pepper, oranges, and fresh parsley, topped with roasted peanuts—nourishing and incredibly filling!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup real butter or olive oil (to keep it vegan friendly or dairy-free)
- 3 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 5 ounces/150 grams shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 4 shallots)
- 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more if needed
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 pound/500 grams carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 (32 FL-ounce) pack vegetable broth, low sodium (about 4 cups)
- 1 cup packed (or one large handful) parsley leaves, plus extra for garnish
- 2 large oranges, juiced
- lightly salted and roasted peanuts (optional)
Instructions
- Place the butter or oil in a 5-quart pot and melt over medium heat.
- Stir in the garlic, shallots, and bell pepper.
- Season with sea salt and royally with pepper.
- Cook and stir for 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots and stir to combine. Then add the vegetable broth.
- Cover the pot and let the liquid come to a simmer. Continue to cook, pot half-covered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Don't let the soup come to a full boil. Reduce the heat if necessary, to maintain a steady simmer.
- Stir in the parsley leaves.
- Remove the pot from the stove, and with an immersion blender, carefully puree the soup. You can always puree the soup in batches using a blender.
- Stir in the fresh orange juice while the soup is still hot—season to taste with more salt, if necessary.
- Serve with fresh parsley leaves and roasted peanuts.
Notes
Serving suggestion: TERRA Taro chips (#ads) or rice crackers.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 177Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 492mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 5gSugar: 11gProtein: 2g
Disclaimer: This nutritional data is calculated using third party tools and is only intended as a reference.
This post was originally published in January 2018 and has since been updated with new pictures and new information.
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