Easy Roasted Carrot Soup (Vegan, Dairy-Free, Coconut-Free)
Apr 22, 2020| By JOI team
Apr 22, 2020| By JOI team
Easy Roasted Carrot Soup (Vegan, Dairy-Free, Coconut-Free)
Almond-Base | Cashew-Base | Dairy-Free | Dinner | Keto | Lunch | Recipe | Soup | Sugar-Free | Vegan | Vegetarian | 
This soup is so velvety and indulgent it might be hard to believe just how good for you it actually is. A hearty base of carrots and red onion pack a nutrient punch. Then, bring on the flavor: turmeric, garlic, cumin, and coriander. The bonus? These spices are packed with anti-oxidants! JOI almond or cashew nut base brings it all together into one creamy, delicious guilt-free comfort meal. Whip out the roasting pan and food processor (or blender) and go ahead, eat your feelings.
Basic Ingredients & Technique for Flavor
The primary ingredient for this soup is carrot, obviously. One great thing about carrots is that they have a spring crop and a fall crop, so you can pretty much make this soup year-round if you are cooking seasonally. Roasting the carrots creates additional depth of character to this soup.
The other ingredients add tons of flavor. From your aromatics (onions and garlic) to your spices (cumin! turmeric!), you will layer in a richness and complexity that will have your taste buds screaming for more! The secret is in roasting all of the aromatics and spices together with the carrots. Don't skip that step!
And for creaminess? JOI, of course. All you have to do is throw in a scoop while you're blending together your ingredients. Your soup will be a creamy, delicious, guilt-free meal. Yeah, coconut milk can be a great dairy-free option for achieving creaminess, but the coconut flavoring can change the taste of the soup. Instead of using coconut milk, we opted for JOI plant base, made of cashews or almonds. This is a fantastic, easy-to-use alternative that won't impact the flavor of your dish.
Get Creative with the Soup Formula
What makes soup special is that you can easily substitute ingredients and get creative.
Carrots can be exchanged for butternut squash or sweet potatoes, either in whole or in part. While butternut squash is also generally available year-round nowadays, it's a great substitute in the fall and winter because that is peak squash season. Have an odd tomato that's looking a bit peaked? Throw that in as well.
It's easy to add extra or replacement herbs and spices to make the soup fit your pallet perfectly. Swap out the cumin for curry powder. Or in the spring, substitute the spices called for in the recipe with fresh dill.
Feeling spicy? Add a knob of fresh ginger to your roasting tray and blend it into the soup.
Adding toppings can turn this soup into a complete meal. Why not borrow from the "tortilla soup tradition" and top your soup with nourishing bits? We're thinking avocado, or baked tofu, or crispy chickpeas! And you can't ever go wrong with croutons, of course.
Yep, you get to personalize this soup, which will sure to make you feel accomplished in the kitchen.
A Healthier Alternative
Store-bought, prepared soups can be high in sodium. Too much sodium in your diet can have negative health effects, like high blood pressure.
Store-bought soups that adhere to many dietary restrictions are also difficult to find.
And they also don't taste as delicious as making your own, while controlling all the ingredients.
Invest in your body and take your soup-making skills for a spin!
Great for Meal Prepping
Our society is all about being on the go, so making your meals beforehand is a mandatory practice. Our food needs to be ready to go when we are, which will save you both time and money.
This hearty carrot soup is the perfect solution for your meal prepping needs. You can make as much of it as you want, all you have to do is adjust the number of ingredients you use.
Using JOI in place of other dairy alternatives, like soaked cashews will help save you even more time. Soaking and blending cashews is a lot of labor, especially if you're trying to make a soup that will last you a week, Adding a scoop of JOI concentrate will ensure you can make this food quickly without sacrificing flavor.
When your soup is done, all you need to do is store it in microwave-safe containers. Storing it in multiple, smaller containers will make it easier to grab in the morning.
After everything is sealed, place it in the freezer. This soup freezes without any issues and is easy to reheat. You can microwave it or warm it up in a pot which will allow you to add more ingredients.
Make it a Meal. And Make More Soups!
If you loved this soup (yep, it's absolutely delicious!) next time double the recipe and freeze some for next time. Looking to round out your meal? Check out some of our terrific salad recipes to make your meal complete!
Or, if we've got you "in the mood" for soup, check out these recipes for Miso Cauliflower Soup, Herbed Pea Soup, Roasted Red Pepper Soup.