Spicy carrot soup with coconut milk recipe! This creamy, vegan carrot soup is super comforting and loaded with flavor. Give it a try!
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Hi, Rhubarbarians! Here's a cozy, satisfying, spicy-but-not-too-spicy vegan carrot soup recipe!
I love this one. It's one of the soup recipes that I make the most in my kitchen because of the minimal ingredients and incredible flavor.
Oh, and it's vegan but oh so creamy thanks to coconut milk!
This vegetable barley soup is one of our weeknight faves!
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Why you'll love this
If you're looking for an easy soup recipe without a ton of ingredients, you have found it! There are only 6 ingredients if you don't count salt and pepper.
It's easy, comforting, and full of carrot flavor. It takes a bit of time to caramelize the onions, but it's mostly hands off.
The coconut milk in the carrot soup makes it creamy and flavorful, but also balances out the spiciness. So good!
So, take a look in your fridge and pantry. I bet you have all of the ingredients you need already! (Go ahead and sub Sriracha for sambal oelek if you need to)
What does coconut milk do for soup? Coconut milk creates a creamy consistency and a rich flavor to soup!
Ingredients and equipment
Here's what you need to make spicy carrot soup with coconut milk! (Full ingredients and instructions are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this article)
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Carrot
- Coconut milk. Go for full fat coconut milk!
- Vegetable stock. I use Better Than Bouillon seasoned vegetable base.
- Sambal oelek
- Salt and pepper
- Sriracha and fresh cilantro
Equipment:
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Stove top or cook top
- Dutch oven or soup pot. I love my Lodge dutch oven!
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Stirring utensil. I use my OXO spoonula for everything.
- Can opener
- Blender or immersion blender. I use a Cuisinart immersion blender.
- Soup bowls and spoons
Step by step instructions
Here's how to make this vegan carrot soup at home, broken down step by step! (Full instructions are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this article)
- First, prep and chop all of your ingredients. I like to do this because things can move pretty quickly at times.
- Heat the oil in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and saute for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are nice and browned.
- Be patient and let the onions brown!
- Add the carrots and saute, stirring occasionally, until carrots are softened, 15 minutes.
- While that's cooking, open the can of coconut milk and stir it well, making sure that the coconut milk isn't separated. Reserve ¼ cup of the coconut milk and set aside.
- Add the vegetable stock, remaining coconut milk in the can, and sambal oelek to the pot. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to simmer, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are very soft and will easily puree, about 30 minutes.
- Puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide the soup among 4 bowls and top with a drizzle of the reserved coconut milk, Sriracha, and fresh cilantro.
- Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
To me, this cozy bowl of soup is a main dish! It's quite hearty and filling.
Feel free to serve it as a side dish if you'd like, but here are some things to serve with it to make it a full meal:
- Flat bread. We always have pita flat breads or naan breads in our fridge!
- Side salad. Go for something light and refreshing like cucumber to contrast the thick soup.
- Grilled cheese sandwich. A classic that isn't just for tomato soup!
- Crispy chickpeas or croutons. Load these on top of your soup for some crunch.
Got more carrots? Here are carrot recipes you'll love:
Recipe tips and substitutions
- Let the onions brown thoroughly before moving on to the next step. The flavor of the onions is essential to this carrot soup.
- Because of the need to brown the onions, doubling or tripling this recipe will take longer.
- If you can't find sambal oelek, go ahead and use Sriracha. Or if you don't want a spicy carrot soup, omit it.
- Use a high speed blender for the velvety smooth soup. An immersion blender is handy, but a high speed blender like a Vitamix will make for the best texture.
- Be sure to use full fat coconut milk. It will give you the richest flavor and texture.
- If your soup is too thick for you liking, thin it out with water or vegetable stock a little at a time until you get your desired consistency.
Have you tried this lemon chickpea orzo soup yet?
Storing and freezing
Storing:
Store any leftover soup in the refrigerator for up to one week. If the soup is too thick, go ahead and thin it out with a bit of water.
Freezing:
Freeze the soup in an air tight freezer safe container (or use Souper Cubes) for up to 6 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before reheating or heat from frozen in a pot on the stove.
FAQs
If the soup is thicker than you'd like, stir in small amounts of water until you have reached your desired consistency.
Yep! Just make sure to brown the onions thoroughly, which will take a bit longer to cook.
This carrot soup is vegan.
It should be in the International foods aisle at your grocery store. It will come in a jar with a rooster on it and a green lid.
Go ahead and use Sriracha!
More soup recipes to try:
You must use the category slug, not a URL, in the category field.Check out all of our soup recipes here!
Did you make this recipe? Leave us a review and star rating in the comments below! We read every single review and appreciate your feedback.
Recipe
Spicy carrot soup with coconut milk
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 pound carrots, roughly chopped. About 5 medium carrots
- 1 14 ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 Tablespoons sambal oelek
- Salt and pepper
- Sriracha and fresh cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are nice and browned. Be patient here and let the onions brown!4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- Add the carrots and saute, stirring occasionally, until carrots are softened, 15 minutes.1 pound carrots, roughly chopped. About 5 medium carrots
- While that's cooking, open the can of coconut milk and stir it well, making sure that the coconut milk isn't separated. Reserve ¼ cup of the coconut milk and set aside.1 14 ounce can full fat coconut milk
- Add the vegetable stock, remaining coconut milk in the can, and sambal oelek to the pot. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are very soft and will easily puree, about 30 minutes.1 14 ounce can full fat coconut milk, 2 cups vegetable stock, 2 Tablespoons sambal oelek
- Puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. If the soup is thicker than you'd like, stir in small amounts of water until you have reached your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.Salt and pepper
- Divide the soup among 4 bowls and top with a drizzle of the reserved coconut milk, Sriracha, and fresh cilantro. Enjoy!1 14 ounce can full fat coconut milk, Sriracha and fresh cilantro for serving
Notes
- Let the onions brown thoroughly before moving on to the next step. The flavor of the onions is essential to this carrot soup.
- Because of the need to brown the onions, doubling or tripling this recipe will take longer.
- If you can't find sambal oelek, go ahead and use Sriracha.
- Use a high speed blender for the velvety smooth soup. An immersion blender is handy, but a high speed blender like a Vitamix will make for the best texture.
- Be sure to use full fat coconut milk. It will give you the richest flavor and texture.
- If your soup is too thick for you liking, thin it out with water or vegetable stock a little at a time until you get your desired consistency.
Nutrition
This recipe was inspired by Shutterbean's carrot coconut soup. I adapted it to make it vegetarian/vegan.
If you make this recipe, please let us know on social media or in the comments below! Leave a star rating in your comment or tag us on Instagram with #Rhubarbarians
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Karen
I made this today, delicious. I did add extra broth and it's still thick and creamy. Can't wait to serve it to guests tomorrow with the cilantro. Thank you.
Debra
Always looking for more simple yet tasty soup recipes. The sriracha in this is totally up my alley. So is the creamy but without the dairy. I'll be making this one right away.
Patricia Bozeman
Let me know what you think, Debra! Thank you!
Donna
Oh wow that is one creamy soup! Love the flavor combination carrot and coconut offers, so fresh but so comforting at the same time. Yum!
Traci
Ohh, you are speaking my language when you put coconut and carrots together. Holy WOW! I love it that I can choose my own spice level too. Thanks for the extra tips too...great recipe!
Dana
I love how this recipe includes both sambal oelek AND Sriracha! I love them both equally and I hate to choose! They both have such awesome flavors to offer. It's been so chilly and glum here, and I don't think that's going to fix itself anytime soon, so this is going to have to happen.
Patricia Bozeman
We always have both in our fridge. A MUST! 🙂
Annissa
What a gorgeous soup! You're speaking my language when it comes to those onions! Browning and caramelizing them brings out all of their sweet goodness. I'm going to share this recipe with my vegan friends for sure!
Patricia Bozeman
Thank you for sharing! Hope you like it!
Stef
I love all root veggies soups - sweet potato, butternut squash, etc. I haven't made carrot in a while though and I love the idea of adding a coconut flavor. Must try! I'm not a sriracha fan, but when I tell my husband about topping with it, he will be all in!!
Marisa Franca
Caramelizing onions makes all the difference in taste!! We love taking the time because the dish tastes so much better. The heat in the soup is just what we need to warm up. We are due for a really cold spell and the soup and spice will bring a little warmth and brightness to our lives.
Carmy
I love this! It packs just enough heat that it is perfect for our lovely cold start to 2019! It's definitely cozy soup season and this coconut carrot soup is calling my name, plus I love a thick creamy soup!
Tina
I know what you mean about browning the onions. It makes all the difference. This soup recipe sounds perfect for when I am under the weather. The fresh veggies and the heat from the sambal olek seems soothing for colds and flu. I have used sambal olek in cooking but haven't tried it in soup yet, that's genius. Going to make this! Thank you.
Annemarie
Vegetable soups are one of my favorite meals too so I can't wait to try your carrot soup! I love how you layered the flavors by caramelizing the onions, then browning the carrots a bit, and adding creamy coconut milk and spicy sambal oelek. My taste buds will be very happy when I make this!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
This soup is FULL ON FLAVOR! The coconut milk, sambal oelek and sweet carrots with caramelized onions, just sounds so good. I love a good creamy soup and that you can make it even healthier without heavy cream or other dairy. This is a gorgeous recipe -- and I think it's the next one I make!
Gloria
This is the perfect soup for this cold weather we are having. Nothing better than wrapping your hands around a HUGE mug of soup. Sitting in front of the TV and binge watching Netflix!! Those are my plans for this weekend.
Allison
Just made this today. Home sick with a cold and wanted something spicy to clear the old nasal passages. This soup is the real deal! So yummy AND spicy. Loved it. Adding it to my normal repertoire...Thank you!
Patricia Bozeman
So glad it made you feel better! Such a simple, great recipe. Rest up and get better! 🙂
Jacque Stanley
You think you're cold? I am in the mountains of Colorado. Brrrr. Okay, I love the sound of this soup and will make it - any idea how I could utilize this gallon of carrot juice (no sugar added) I had to buy for another recipe and use it in your soup? Maybe substitute the chicken broth for carrot juice? Help.
Patricia Bozeman
Hi Jacque! You could certainly try this out with the carrot juice! What I would do is replace the chicken broth with carrot juice and add in some bouillon cubes or stock base (Better than Bouillon is great). This way you get the flavor, but you are not adding more liquid to the soup. Let me know how it goes!
Jesse
Stunning pictures Trish! This looks like my kind of soup 🙂
Keep up the hard work!
Patricia Bozeman
Thank you Jesse!
bristol plasterer
This sounds lovely. Going to give this a go. thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
Patricia Bozeman
Thank you Bristol! Let me know how it goes!
wickedspatula
Absolute gorgeous lighting in your photos! This soup sounds fantastic. We've been know to down an entire pot of soup in one sitting....I have no shame
Patricia Bozeman
Wow, thank you! Not hard to eat a whole pot of soup! ha!
Linda @ Food Huntress
That recipe looks so delicious and comforting! I want some!
Patricia Bozeman
thanks Linda!
Ginnie
This sounds so good! It was so cold here in NYC that my face hurt ... after being outside for 5 minutes:( Yuck!
Joanne
It is feels like -8 in NYC today...so I pretty much need approximately 12 bowls of this. LOVE the spice!
Trish
Holy cow -8! I've been whining over the mid 30s temps!
Tabetha
Perfect!! My husband got a new blender for Xmas and we've been looking for soups! Pinning this one for sure!
Trish
Wonderful! You won't be disappointed Tabetha!
June Burns
Mmmm that sounds like my kind of soup! Maybe add a few more tablespoons of sriracha? Haha but it does look great, very creamy 🙂
Patricia Bozeman
I totally smothered it in Sriracha after it was cooked. ha!