My carrot-coconut soup recipe is a vegan dream dinner that comes together quickly. This coconut soup can be frozen, making it a dream for meal preppers. Learning how to make this carrot soup with coconut milk is a breeze, and you’ll want to keep this one on your rotation all winter long!
This soup is everything. It’s got some sweetness from carrots, subtly sharp brightness from lemongrass, and lush richness from coconut milk. Finishing it off with fresh herbs, like Thai basil, scallions, or microgreens, and a few slices of jalapeño peppers rounds out these flavors even more.
How to make this carrot-coconut soup recipe:
What I love about this recipe is that you need just a few ingredients, including:
- Shallots or yellow onion
- Carrots
- Lemongrass or ginger
- Garlic
- Water
- Coconut milk
- Sesame oil and chili oil
That is it! The broth is unimaginably easy to prepare, too. You need an immersion blender, but if you don’t have one, a food processor will also work!
To make it, start by charring the shallots. You want them to develop some crispy, dark brown edges but be careful not to burn them! Next, add the carrots. Peel them first and cut them into quarters.
From there, throw in the lemongrass and crushed garlic cloves. I used a stir-in lemongrass paste. If using fresh lemongrass, you can buy the small containers found in the produce aisle or use 1 small stalk. Remove the tough outer layers first and then lightly crush them with the handle of your knife. If using fresh lemongrass, discard it before blending the soup.
Once the lemongrass is in the soup, pour the water on top. Bring it to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. You want to reduce the liquid by half, so try to maintain a rapid simmer, which means the bubbles should be forming rapidly but not boiling. You want it below a boil and above a simmer. On my range, this usually lands me around a medium-low setting. As I mentioned, the liquid should be reduced by half, meaning the carrots should barely be covered with liquid.
Once the liquid has reduced by half, and the carrots are fork tender, blend them up! You should be left with about 2 cups of carrot purée. To finish up the carrot-coconut soup, stir in the coconut milk. Thin it to your desired consistency with a bit more water and finish with sesame and chili oil. From there, you can serve it over noodles or enjoy it on its own!
Can you freeze this carrot soup with coconut?
Absolutely! Let the broth cool down, and then transfer it to a plastic storage container. You can even store it in quart or gallon freezer bags so that the soup takes up less room in the freezer. The soup will last 3 months in the freezer, and you can then unthaw and reheat it gently on the stovetop. I recommend not freezing it with the noodles.
My favorite part of this soup? The toppings! I ladle the broth over cooked noodles–udon, soba, or rice would work perfectly here–and then I garnish the heck out of it. I topped mine with Thai basil leaves, sliced jalapeño, pea tendrils, sesame seeds, and a finish of chili oil for some extra heat.
Try it with fresh cilantro, bean sprouts, crispy shallots, radishes cut into matchsticks, steamed bok choy, or a soft-boiled egg if you’re vegetarian. If you eat meat, you could top this with broiled shrimp or grilled chicken!
Carrot-Coconut Soup
Equipment
- Large pot
- Immersion blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 3 shallots, peeled and quartered
- 1½ pounds carrots, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste
- 10 cloves garlic, crushed
- 5–6 cups water, divided
- 14.5- ounce can coconut milk, full-fat
- 12 ounces udon, ramen, or rice noodles
- 1 teaspoon chili oil, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Salt, to taste
For serving, optional:
- Thai basil
- Sliced jalapeño
- Microgreens or minced scallions
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
Char the shallots:
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring regularly, for 5–7 minutes or until they char around the edges.
Cook the carrots:
- Add the carrots and cook in the oil for an additional 5 minutes. Season all over with salt and pepper.
- Add the lemongrass and garlic. Stir to coat and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Simmer the broth:
- Pour in 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Rapid simmer for 30 minutes or until the carrots are fork-tender and the liquid has reduced by half. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.
Blend the carrots:
- Using an immersion blender, blend the carrots until completely smooth. You should have about 2 cups of purée.
Finish the soup:
- Return the heat on the carrot purée to low. Stir in the coconut milk and add 1–2 cups water, depending on how thin you want the broth to be. Stir in 1 teaspoon chili oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Taste and season once more. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Cook the noodles:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain, rinse, and divide between bowls.
To serve:
- Ladle the carrot broth on top of the noodles. Garnish with Thai basil, jalapeño, microgreens, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy!
