Creamy Carrot Soup – Sweet Spot Nutrition

My neighbour Marie-Andree dropped off a jar of this soup, and it was so luscious and creamy, we just had to have the recipe. I’ve modified it a bit to make it heart-healthier, but credit to her for sharing this method of making a soup creamy with rice.

Salt/Sodium Tip

I’ve adjusted the recipe to make it low in sodium. You may prefer that, but if you’re used to more, especially in soup, just add a little extra salt after tasting. It will still be much lower in sodium than canned soup.

Ginger Tip

Did you know you can freeze ginger? Yes!

So if you cook with ginger often, chop a big batch of it, with an electric food chopper/processor if you have one. If you freeze it flat in a bag, you can break off the amount you need.

Creamy Carrot Soup

Active time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 2-1/2 cups carrots, sliced
• 1/4 cup white rice
• 5 cups water
• 2 tsp reduced-sodium chicken base (1)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (optional)

• In a large pot, heat up the olive oil over medium heat while you slice the onion. (2) Add it to the pot when ready.

• Slice the garlic and chop the ginger, if needed. Add them to the pot. Adjust the heat if needed, so the vegetables don’t burn.

• Peel and chop the carrots while the other vegetables soften.

• By the time you’ve sliced the carrots, the onion should be soft. Add the carrots, rice, water and chicken base to the pot. Bring to a boil.

• Cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender and the rice is cooked.

• In a blender, carefully purée the soup until smooth. (3)

• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Garnish with pumpkin seeds, if using.

(1) The reduced-sodium chicken base I use is called Better Than Bouillon. (I have no relationship with them.) The words “reduced sodium” on the jar are very small, so look carefully!
(2) Don’t take the time to chop everything perfectly – it’s going to be pureed anyhow.
(3) To safely puree the soup, do it in 2-3 batches. Take the small central lid off of the blender and hold a tea towel there instead, to allow steam to escape.

Keyword carrot, creamy, heart healthy, soup