This recipe for carrot and cumin soup is amazingly budget-friendly as well as wholesomely delicious packed with the warming nutty spices of cumin and sweet fresh carrots.
This carrot soup is garnished with crushed walnuts and a sprinkle of fresh parsley for a tasty light meal, lunch or serve for an extra special meal starter.
Within the UK at least, carrots are relatively inexpensive just now so if possible do pop down and grab a big bag of cheap carrots for this delicious easy veggie soup. You'll be glad you did.
Carrot and cumin soup is prepared with just every-day plant-based vegan ingredients and can be easily adapted to be perfect for a gluten-free diet.
History of carrot soup
Carrot soup originates way back to medieval Europe in the French town of Crecy, where it was enjoyed as a creamy soup or broth. Crecy carrots or red carrots are a medieval carrot and were grown in the town of Crecy.
The terms for French carrot soup include Potage Crecy, Puree a la Crecy, Soup a la Crecy, and Creme a la Crecy.
However medieval carrots were not actually orange instead they could be a variety of colours including white, red, yellow, black and purple!
It wasn't until around the 17th Century that Dutch plant breeders, motivated by a mutant yellow carrot, created the orange carrot that we know today! This orange variety was preferred as it was sweeter and easier to grow to a standard size.
Carrots were being cultivated in Western Europe, including Britain, sometime during the 13th Century and when the western settlers moved to the New World [North America] during the 1600s they also brought over carrots to grow within the first settlement of Jamestown.
How To Prepare Carrot and Cumin Soup
Dice the carrots into small pieces. Melt the margarine within the soup pan, or heat up the olive/vegetable oil.
Alternatively use ½-3/4 cup of veggie stock for a no-added fat soup.
Pop in the diced carrots, onions, dried garlic or fresh garlic, and the cumin seeds.
Saute for 15 minutes with a lid askew over the pot, stir frequently.
Pour in the hot vegan broth/stock.
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice can be added if you like the zesty fruity kick.
Using a stick/immersion blender puree the soup until smooth.
Or leave the soup chunky if preferred.
A drizzle of vegan cream is a tasty addition, such as Oatley oat cream or prepare a home-made cashew cream [see recipe notes for easy method].
Enjoy with a few crackers or a chunk of crusty bread.
Recipe Notes
Store leftovers within the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Yes.
Freeze for up to 3-4 months.
Defrost thoroughly before reheating.
Pour the carrot soup into a non-stick pot and over a medium heat gently bring to the boil.
Simmer for a few minutes until the soup is piping hot.
Or reheat within a microwave.
Absolutely.
Carrot soup is perfect for gluten-free diets as long as a gluten-free vegetable stock is used.
Also check that the vegan margarine is free from gluten ingredients, although most are gluten-free.
Of course.
A few ideas:
* replace the vegan margarine used to saute the veggies with olive or vegetable oil, or go fat-free and use a vegan vegetable stock/broth. About ½-3/4 cup of broth should be enough.
* the dried garlic powder can be replaced with 4 or more diced fresh garlic cloves
* not a fan of cumin? switch out the cumin powder for a few teaspoons of coriander powder. If you make a straight switch from cumin seeds to coriander seeds then the coriander seeds will need toasting in a dry pan until fragrant and then use a pestle and mortar to grind the seeds to a powder.
* forego any spices and simply prepare a pot of good honest carrot soup, perfect for those who prefer more subtle flavours
* switch out the carrots for parsnips, celeriac or sweet potato
* the walnut garnish can be replaced with any nut available such as flaked almonds, crushed brazils or hazelnuts, pine-nuts, mixed chopped nuts, or broken cashews.
* or replace the nuts with a seed such as sunflower, pumpkin, sesame or poppy seeds
* fresh parsley can be omitted or replaced with chopped fresh coriander/cilantro, dill, chives, spring or green onions
* a squeeze of fresh lemon juice as a seasoning at the end of cooking is a tasty addition especially if you like a zesty kick
* a sprinkle of red pepper flakes/paprika flakes/chilli flakes is a tasty seasoning that compliments the carrot and cumin flavours
* if your lucky enough to source carrots with the greens and stems intact then some of the greens and stems can be chopped and added to the soup along with the carrots. The carrot tops will add extra flavour dimensions and extra nutrition.
Yes.
For a creamy carrot and cumin soup simply add a drizzle of plant vegan cream over the soup before serving. Or stir some plant milk through the finished soup.
The plant cream can be either shop bought or homemade.
For an easy homemade version blend equal quantities of cashew nuts with water until smooth.
Use a stand blender/food processer or smoothie maker and if your machine does not make the cashew cream smooth, then simply sieve the finished puree.
Soaking the cashews in boiling water for a few hours can help soften the nuts up and result in a smoother cream.
Alternatively add a scoop or two of vegan creme fraiche, vegan soft cream cheese or vegan plain yogurt, to the finished soup either in the pot or add to each bowl.
If any plant cream, milk, creme fraiche, soft cream cheese or yogurt is added to the soup and you'd like to reheat then do so gently until the soup is just at the boil, but don't boil as the creaminess may split.
Of course not.
If you prefer a chunky soup then by all means leave the soup unblended.
A few suggestions:
* a wedge of fresh baked Irish soda bread [100% wholemeal, no knead, no-yeast, no-rise and no-added fat traditional bread]
* a few Scottish oatcakes [for an oil-free vegan cheesy oatcake check this recipe out]
* quick dinner rolls [just three ingredients and quick baking]
* saltine crackers
* crostini bread/crackers
* plain British scones
* American biscuits
* rice cakes/rye cakes/corn cakes [cracker style]
* your favourite bread sandwich [try this traditional vegan egg mayonnaise and cress sandwich]
Second bowl has a vegan cream [Oatley oat cream] swirl with fresh parsley, red pepper flakes and walnuts.
More Budget-Friendly Vegan Recipe Ideas
Cabbage And Noodles [Polish Haluski]
Depression Era Peanut Butter Bread
Recipe
Tasty Carrot And Cumin Soup
Equipment
- Large saucepan/soup pot with lid
- immersion/stick blender or a stand blender, for pureeing soup, optional as can leave the soup chunky.
Ingredients
Saute veggies:
- 2 tablespoon vegan margarine or olive oil/vegetable oil or ½ cup vegan stock/broth [use more stock as required]
Soup:
- 1 kilogram carrots diced small
- 1.2 litres vegetable stock broth, hot
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoon dried cumin powder
- 1 large onion rough diced [about 220 grams]
- 2 teaspoon dried garlic powder or 4 diced garlic cloves
garnish
- 6 tablespoon walnuts crumbled, or flaked almonds/sunflower seeds
- 6 tablespoon chopped parsley or other fresh herb such as corinader/cilantro
Instructions
- Melt the vegan margarine, or heat the olive/vegetable oil or bring ½ cup of veggie stock to a simmer.
- Pop in the diced carrots, onions, garlic powder or diced garlic cloves, along with the cumin seeds. Stir well and pop a lid over the pot [but leave a gap for steam to escape].
- Saute for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. [If the veggies start to stick to the bottle just add a little splash of water.]
- Next sprinkle in the one tablespoon of cumin powder, season with salt and pepper, and pour in the hot veggie stock/broth.
- Bring the soup to a simmer, and over a medium heat cook for 15 minutes. Place a lid over the pot with a gap for steam to escape.
- Blend the soup to a puree and season with salt and pepper to taste. Or leave the soup chunky if preferred.[A squeeze of fresh lemon juice can be added if a fresh zesty kick is liked.]
- Garnish each serving with crushed walnuts and chopped fresh parsely.[A sprinkle of red pepper flakes/paprika flakes or chilli flakes is a tasty addition]
- Optional: For a creamy carrot soup drizzle a swirl of vegan cream over each serving.
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
- Nutritional info includes the walnut topping. If the walnuts are omitted calories are reduced to 123 calories and 5 grams fat per serving.
- Walnuts can be replaced with any nut available such as flaked almonds, chopped mixed nuts, cashews, peanuts, pine nuts. Or seeds such as sunflower, pumpkin or sesame.
- This recipe results in about 2 litres/2 quarts [about 8 ¼ cups] of carrot soup. Enough for 6 good sized portions but will stretch to 7-8 smaller servings especially if used as a starter or first course, or feeding smaller appetites.
- Store leftover soup in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Or freeze for 3-4 months.
- Reheat by pouring the soup into a non-stick pot and gently bring the soup to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes until piping hot. Or reheat using a microwave.
- For a gluten-free carrot soup choose a gluten-free vegetable stock/broth.
Nutrition
Prepared this delicious budget-friendly carrot and cumin soup?
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Take care
Jacq x
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