Carrot and Orange Soup
One of the easiest healthy carrot and orange soup recipes with bell pepper, onion, oranges, garlic, and spinach and topped with roasted nuts and red pepper flakes—nourishing, incredibly filling and easily adaptable!
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Calories: 228kcal
Equipment
- 1 hand blender a Vitamix, food processor or regular blender can all work
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil about 50 ml
- 3 large cloves garlic chopped
- 1 large yellow onion (up to 250 grams), peeled and coarsely chopped or replace with shallots
- 1 large red or orange bell pepper coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more if needed
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped 465 grams
- 32 oz low-sodium vegetable broth 4 cups (946 ml)
- 1 cup packed spinach leaves (30 grams) or replace with fresh parsley leaves (25 grams)
- ½ cup fresh orange juice 113 ml (the equivalent of 2 large oranges juiced)
- Sliced almonds optional (or lightly salted and roasted peanuts)
- Dried chili flakes or red pepper flakes to taste if you love some heat
Instructions
- Place the oil in a minimum 5-quart pot and melt over medium heat.¼ cup olive oil
- Stir in the garlic, yellow onion, and bell pepper.3 large cloves garlic, 1 large yellow onion (up to 250 grams), peeled and coarsely chopped, 1 large red or orange bell pepper
- Season with sea salt and royally with black pepper.1 teaspoon sea salt, Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Cook and stir for 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots and stir to combine. Then add the vegetable broth.1 pound carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped, 32 oz low-sodium 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. Instead, reduce the heat if necessary to maintain a steady simmer.
- Stir in the spinach leaves until wilted (1 to 2 minutes).1 cup packed spinach leaves (30 grams)
- Remove the pot from the stove, and with an immersion blender, carefully puree the soup. Of course, you can always puree the soup in batches using a stand blender or food processor.
- Stir in the fresh orange juice while the soup is still hot—season to taste with more salt, if necessary.½ cup fresh orange juice
- Garnish with sliced almonds and a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes when serving.Sliced almonds, Dried chili flakes or red pepper flakes to taste
Notes
Broth: You can use 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. Homemade chicken broth instead of veggie broth can also work: it will give the soup a richer taste. Use homemade leftover broth in these recipes using chicken broth for added depth of flavor.
Pureeing the soup: Allow the soup to cool for a few minutes when transferring it to a blender, and work in batches if you have more soup than its maximum capacity (maximum fill line). Always handle pureeing with extra caution because the soup is hot! I like to keep the soup in the pot and use a hand blender for pureeing.
Extra spices, toppings, garnishes (suggestions): garnish this soup with sliced almonds and crushed red pepper flakes or chili flakes if you like it spicy, or a tad of cashew cream for a super silky texture. Coconut milk or sour cream are also great options.
Fresh orange juice: taste test and add more if you desire a tangier flavor.
If you've used fresh parsley instead of spinach leaves: Garnish this soup with extra parsley (flat or curly), lightly salted and roasted peanuts, and red pepper flakes or chili flakes if you like it spicy,
Storage: You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days. Freeze for more extended storage in freezer-safe containers.
Reheating instructions: You can take the soup out of the freezer the night before and let it defrost in the fridge or place any frozen soup portion straight into the saucepan and warm over low heat.
When reheating it, add some extra broth to thin it out just a little—always taste test and add more seasoning if desired.
My favorite quick-serving suggestion: TERRA Taro chips.
Nutrition
Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 670mg | Potassium: 640mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 21287IU | Vitamin C: 100mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 2mg