Carrot Broccoli Ginger Soup
This creamy vegan carrot broccoli ginger soup gets its creaminess from smoothly pureed carrots, white beans, and coconut milk. You’ll be shocked to discover how rich it tastes even though there’s absolutely no heavy cream or butter added, which most bisques like this have lots of.
Everything you need to make this simple but satisfying, eight-ingredient bisque is probably already in your refrigerator and pantry. Seasoned with scallions, garlic, and ginger, this soup warms you up from the inside out.
Ginger is among the healthiest spices in the world, helping aid digestion, reducing inflammation, and easing cold and flu symptoms, according to medicalnewstoday.com. These aromatics are simmered with carrots in coconut milk and pureed with creamy white beans.
Finally, we top it with roasted broccoli, making for a fresh vegan dinner that can be on the table in under an hour. Flavorful and slightly buttery polenta croutons are the perfect crispy accompaniment to this creamy soup!
This recipe draws on the Indian tradition of using ginger and coconut milk as aromatics, like many of my other easy vegetarian Indian recipes.
Ingredients and What They Do
- Broccoli: Adding roasted broccoli gives the soup some texture and adds a healthy vegetable to round out the meal.
- Carrots:This soup is all about carrots, but you can substitute with acorn or butternut squash for other equally delicious versions.
- Coconut milk: I use light coconut milk, which contains less fat than regular coconut milk.If you prefer a less rich soup, simply decrease the coconut milk and increase the amount of water.
- Coconut Oil or Extra-virgin olive oil: We saute our aromatics in oil to soften them and help release their juices.
- Ginger: Fresh ginger adds a very subtle spicy taste and contrasts the sweetness you get from carrots and coconut milk. I use two tablespoons for a subtle flavor but you can increase up to another tablespoon for extra zing and zest.
- Scallions and garlic: These aromatics along with ginger impart a depth of flavor. You can also use onions or leeks in place of scallions if you like.
- White beans: These beans, also known as cannellini, add extra protein and fiber to our soup. Navy beans can also be used.
Carrot Broccoli Ginger Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil, divided
- 2 scallions, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 5 carrots, roughly chopped
- sea salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1 14.5-oz. can coconut milk
- 3 cups water
- 1 14.5-oz. can white beans or garbanzo , drained, rinsed
- 3 cups broccoli, florets (roughly chopped)
- Polenta croutons
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the scallion, ginger, and garlic, and cook until softened (about 2 minutes).
- Add in the carrots and season with salt and pepper.
- Add coconut milk, white beans, and water. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil over high heat.
- Uncover and cook, until the carrots are very tender (about 18-20 minutes).
- Meanwhile, mix the broccoli with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, salt, and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring, until the broccoli is tender (about 15-20 minutes).
- Puree the soup with a blender in batches.
- Divide the soup among several bowls and top with broccoli polenta croutons.
Bon appétit!
- Note – If you do not have fresh ginger, you can use 1 teaspoon of powdered ginger. You can substitute garbanzo beans or chickpeas for white beans.
Nutrition
Tips and Shortcuts
- Do you ever find yourself stuck with too many vegetables after an ambitious trip to the grocery store? Instead of letting them go bad, I often freeze them for future use or make soup with them. If you have frozen carrots on hand, you can easily use them to put this soup together without having to buy fresh carrots.
- Deepen the carrot flavor by roasting some chopped carrots in the oven. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and toss the carrots with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast until they’re slightly browned and fork-tender (about 15-20 minutes). If you’re performing this step, skip boiling the carrots for 18-20 minutes (step #7 above).
- Make sure to use a high-speed blender — I like Blendtec or Vitamix — or an immersion blender to ensure an ultra-creamy texture.
- I used scallions, ginger, and garlic for this soup, but you can experiment with other spices and aromatics according to your tastes — dried thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, curry powder, rosemary; the possibilities are endless!
- Feel free to use frozen broccoli instead of fresh to reduce prep time.
- If you don’t have raw garlic, use a 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
How to Store This Soup
Make this soup ahead of time as part of your meal prep for the week since it’ll taste even better the next time as the flavors have more time to meld. It’ll keep fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days and do well in the freezer for up to six months without sacrificing taste and consistency. Just divide it into small containers or zip-lock bags for single servings, leaving about two inches of space between the soup and the top. Freeze it the same day that you’re cooking it to capture it at its maximum freshness.
Similar Recipes
If you’re looking for inspiration for other creamy soup ideas, check out my similar recipes below:
For a lighter broth, you may prefer my miso soup with tofu and vegetables, inspired by my trips to Japan.
When making this broccoli soup without cream, the creaminess comes from three sources: the pureed carrots, canned white beans (cannellini) and light coconut milk. There is no heavy cream, butter or dairy. The high-speed blender step is essential for the ultra-smooth texture.
Yes. Frozen broccoli works well and reduces your prep time. There’s no need to adjust the roasting step; spread frozen florets on the baking sheet and roast as directed, adding five minutes if needed.
Any mild white bean works as a substitute for white beans, including navy beans, cannellini, or chickpeas. These add protein and fiber, and help to create the creamy puree. Do not skip them; they are essential to the texture and nutrition.
The soup keeps for 3-4 days in the fridge and up to 6 months in the freezer. Freeze it on the same day for maximum freshness. I recommend portioning the soup into small containers with two inches of headspace.
The ingredient notes already answer this: acorn or butternut squash are equally delicious substitutes for a slightly sweeter, autumn-leaning version. The coconut milk and ginger ratios stay the same.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy and may vary depending on ingredients used. This content is not intended as medical or dietary advice.
Anna
My family loves this soup. Super easy and delicious. The flavors are great and it’s so creamy. Thanks for sharing.
veggiecurean
So glad that your family likes it. A great way to get in some vegetables.
GB
Loved it.
I usually like tomato soup and this felt like that but w/ something different.
How cool to have broccoli w/ carrots in this way!
Thanks!
veggiecurean
Thanks! I am always looking for a way to add more vegetables to my soups and meals.
Laura
This is so good! I ended up blending in the roasted broccoli and adding red pepper flakes for spice and YUM. I never seem to use my broccoli and carrots fast enough.
veggiecurean
Dear Laura, Thanks so much for sharing. I am glad you liked to soup. It’s easy and delicious.
Stacy
I did the same thing. This is hands down the most delicious soup I have ever made!
veggiecurean
So glad you enjoyed it.
Amy
I use your trick for roasting broccoli with most soups I make now! It’s a great way to use up broccoli but also to pack in extra veggies. Thanks so much!
veggiecurean
Dear Amy, so good to hear that. I love roasted veggies on their own and also making soups out to them. So flavorful and adds a bit of crunch to the veggies.