Roasted Carrot Soup For Two

Like carrots? You’re going to love this Roasted Carrot Soup Recipe For Two. It’s luxuriously creamy and full of incredible roasted carrot flavor. 

This creamy roasted carrot soup is unassuming, yet outstanding. Sitting quietly in its bowl, this roasted carrot soup appears simple (like this Tomato Fennel Soup) and unassuming. And, while it is incredibly easy to prepare, its flavor is anything but basic.

IN THIS POST, YOU WILL LEARN:

• HOW TO MAKE ROASTED CARROT SOUP FOR TWO
  • • WHY ROASTING INTENSIFIES THE VEGETABLE FLAVOR
    • WHAT'S IN THIS ROASTED CARROT SOUP RECIPE FOR TWO
    • WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS CARROT SOUP
• SOUP FOR TWO?  MAKE AHEAD AND FREEZE
  • • A FEW THINGS TO BE MINDFUL OF WHEN FREEZING SOUP
    • HOW LONG DOES DEFROSTED SOUP LAST?
    • CAN YOU THAW AND REFREEZE SOUP?
    • HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP SOUP IN THE FRIDGE BEFORE FREEZING?
    • HOW LONG CAN YOU FREEZE SOUP?

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HOW TO MAKE ROASTED CARROT SOUP FOR TWO

I noticed the carrots are suddenly really delicious, a trigger to add making a pot of carrot soup a top priority.  A robust soup is easier to produce if the carrots are sweet to start with. It’s then finished with just a little minced parsley and a swirl of crème fraiche.

“Pam Werley brought out this delicious soup for a fall harvest day pot luck.  We have been making and passing on the recipe ever since.” – Patty Wright, Spring Hill Community Farm

Fall is a great season for roasted vegetable soups.  First, roasting intensifies their flavors.  But another reason to make roasted vegetable soups at this time of year is that while mornings may be nippy, the days end up too warm to warrant turning on the heat.  

What better way, then, to cut the morning’s chill than to turn on the oven and roast vegetables for a soup, even if you finish making it later.

ROASTING INTENSIFIES THE VEGETABLE FLAVOR

What is the magic of roasting?  Roasting evaporates moisture, leaving behind the sugars and concentrating the flavors of the vegetables.  So, this roasted carrot soup tends to have richer flavors than if the carrots were merely simmered in water or stock. 

We puree this soup because well-roasted vegetables tend to shrivel and even blacken in places.  In other words, they’re not so pretty to look at.  

But a few of them pulled from the roasting pan and diced can make a great textured addition to this pureed soup.

In general, it seems to take about one and a half hours at 375 – 425 degrees to sufficiently roast soup vegetables so that they get that special flavor.  Toss them with olive oil so they don’t become completely desiccated. 

The oil coating serves to create a good balance between water lost and flavor gained.

WHAT'S IN THIS ROASTED CARROT SOUP RECIPE FOR TWO

Roasted Carrot Soup is an easy carrot soup recipe that starts by roasting carrots, potatoes, onion and garlic with aromatics of thyme and a bay leaf.  Blending the roasted vegetables with stock or water makes it creamy and filling. This carrot-based vegetarian soup is simple, healthy, and the leftovers are perfect for lunches and dinners all week long!

Roasted Vegetables

• Carrots – when you notice the carrots suddenly tasting incredibly sweet it is time to grab a pound or two and make this soup. I typically peel and cut my carrots in equal sized chunks.  This encourages even roasting. 

If you’re in a pinch for time, just wash (not peel) and you will have a more earthy tasting soup.

• Small Yukon Gold Potatoes - Yukon Gold potatoes have a golden-yellow flesh. This flesh is visually appealing and has a buttery flavor that makes it my preferred choice. 

If you cannot find Yukon gold you can substitute Carola, Russet, Red Bliss, Katahdin or Inca Gold potatoes, any of which will work well in this soup.

• Yellow Onion – The yellow onion is the general cooking onion. Usually relatively cheap and plentiful, they’re my go-to onion.  The  onion flavor isn’t overpowering and often have a bit of sweetness to them, they caramelize nicely and they hold up well when cooked.  

If you are looking for a stronger, spicier, more pungent flavor then use a white onion.

Aromatics And Seasonings To Enhance The Flavor

• Use aromatics such as garlic, thyme and bay leaf.
• Vegetable or Chicken Stock or Water.  Use the stock of your choice.  I prefer the complexity of chicken stock.  But, if you want to keep this vegetarian, water is a great choice and does not compromise the robust flavor of roasted vegetables.
• Maple Syrup:  This adds just the right amount of sweetness to balance out the aromatic flavors of onion and garlic.
• Light Cream or Coconut Milk.  I add just enough cream to help make this velvety smooth.   You could substitute a tablespoon or two of butter or coconut milk for cream.  This is a tip I picked up from Kate Taylor, @CookieandKate, she adds butter to most of her soups to boost the flavor and creaminess.

Garnishes such as crème fraiche or sour cream and parsley are optional but make the soup so much more appealing.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS CARROT SOUP

This classic roasted carrot soup is wonderful to serve with your favorite winter salads, sandwiches, and even holiday entrées. Since carrots go well with so many other flavors, it’s a versatile soup to keep in your repertoire and stocked in your freezer.

Here are a couple of my favorite dishes to serve with carrot soup:

• Grilled cheese (find tips on how to make a grilled cheese in the Tomato Fennel with Grilled Cheese Recipe),
• Simple green salad with my go-to-balsamic vinaigrette, found in the blueberry salad post!
• Flank steak,
• Swordfish kebabs

Finding The Right Wine

Serve A Gruner Veltliner white wine from the Wagram Region of north-eastern Austria, it has a clear profile that pairs well with roasted vegetables.  

As James at the Minnetonka Wine Shop described for me, the Gruner Veltliner, specifically the Josef  Ehmoser, boasts a flavor profile that is appealing to fans of other popular grape varieties, too.  Sauvignon Blanc drinkers tend to enjoy the bright citrus notes of Grüner Veltliner, as well as its occasional hints of herbaceousness meaning it has some acidity but not too much to be overpowering. 

The bottle I picked up at the Minnetonka Wine Shop was the Josef Ehmoser, this was just the wine to ease into fall with this carrot soup.

 Thank you to my Minnetonka Wine shop, @wineshop for this suggestion.

SOUP FOR TWO? MAKE AHEAD AND FREEZE!

I love to make a big pot of roasted carrot soup to freeze for a simple supper later in the week.  Make ahead as the flavor gets better a day or two after sitting in the refrigerator.

24-ounce glass jars are the perfect freezing container.   They are tight sealing to avoid freezer burn and make it easy to identify what is in the clear jar, unlike flat containers or plastic freezer bags.  I really do hate rooting around in the freezer trying to remember what is in which container and how long it has been in there.

So, don’t forget to label the lid with contents and date.  This soup freezes well up to 3 months.

A FEW THINGS TO BE MINDFUL OF WHEN FREEZING SOUP

Hold back the cream if freezing the soup until you reheat.

No worries, if you do add the cream – keep in mind that the carrot soup will have a tendency to really thicken up in the freezer, so you’ll need to be patient when it comes time to thaw and reheat. When reheated too quickly, creamy soups can lose their smooth consistency.

Patience is the secret to thawing cream soup in order to maintain taste and consistency during the extreme temperature transitions. Consider thawing frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator and slowly warming over low heat.

Avoid overfilling or underfilling the container.

Resist the temptation to fill the container to the brim since expansion can crack the glass!  On the other hand, underfilling the container, leaves more air inside and the potential for freezer burn.

Do this:  An inch of space between the soup and the container’s lid is plenty of expansion room while limiting air contact.

Defrosting and reheating the soup.

When it’s a “simple soup night”, defrost the soup during the day in the refrigerator, then empty into a saucepan and warm gently over low stove heat until it begins to simmer.   

However, if you’re in a time crunch, you can submerge your airtight freezer container in a bag or bowl of cold water—which usually takes about an hour per pound of frozen soup—or defrost it in the microwave, stirring frequently.

Do this:  While the soup is reheating – make your grilled cheese and within 10 minutes you have dinner or lunch for two on the table.

HOW LONG DOES DEFROSTED SOUP LAST?

If you thaw your frozen soup in the fridge for the appropriate amount of time (about 24 hours), then the soup should stay good in the refrigerator for three to four days.

CAN YOU THAW AND REFREEZE SOUP?

Yes, you can thaw and refreeze soup, so long as you reheat it again before putting it back in the freezer. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends bringing thawed food to a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before refreezing.

HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP SOUP IN THE FRIDGE BEFORE FREEZING?

We recommend freezing your soup the same day you cook it. Anything you’re not ready to eat immediately should be stored in the proper containers and placed in the freezer right away.  Federal Food Safety Information says you can freeze it within three to four days of making.

HOW LONG CAN YOU FREEZE SOUP?

Now let’s talk about how long your soup will last once it’s actually in the freezer. According to Federal Food Safety Information, you can freeze your soup for anywhere between two to three months.

Does that mean that you should store it in the freezer for three months? We don’t suggest you do -- not if you can help it. The longer you freeze your soup, the less fresh it will taste once you reheat it. Despite the protection of the freezer containers, any kind of food that remains in the freezer for very long becomes susceptible to tiny ice crystals that form in the fibers of the food and compromise not only the taste, but the texture as well.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #ourtable42

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