This spicy carrot soup is the perfect blend of sweet, spicy, and creamy. Topped with maple-glazed cashews, flakey sea salt, chili crisp oil, and fresh dill, it makes for a simple yet sophisticated recipe to make on a cozy night in, or a dinner gathering with friends and/or family. TIP: if you serve this soup with gluten-free bread instead of sourdough bread, it’s also entirely gluten-free!
Why You’ll Love This Spicy Carrot Soup
This Spicy Carrot Soup is easy to make, wholesome, customizable and simply delicious! Don’t like spicy dishes? Try my roasted butternut squash soup instead.
If you’re looking for a simple soup that is plant-based, combines creaminess, spice, and crunch with refreshing elements like lime and dill, this may just be the perfect fit! While the soup itself is, in my humble opinion, a winner on its own, the toppings are what bring this recipe to another level. The maple-glazed cashews add the perfect blend of crunchiness, sweetness, and saltiness (thanks to the sea salt flakes). Combined with chili crisp oil, it’s a match made in heaven!
This spicy carrot soup can, of course, be made all year round, but it’s especially perfect during the colder autumn and winter days. TIP: be sure to check out the playlist accompanying this recipe for the ultimate cozy cooking experience.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
Note: the following is an overview of the ingredients needed to make this spicy carrot soup recipe. For the exact measurements, be sure to refer to the recipe card below.
Spicy Carrot Soup Ingredients
- Fresh produce & herbs: carrots, onion, red chili pepper (or red jalapeño pepper), fresh thyme, fresh ginger root, garlic, lime (or lemon).
- Dry spices: sea salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika.
- Condiments: olive oil, brown sugar (or coconut sugar), vegetable broth.
- Dairy alternatives: full fat coconut milk (you can use plant-based cooking cream or a crème fraîche alternative instead.)
Suggested Toppings
- Maple-glazed cashews: made with chopped cashews (you can use almonds or pecans instead), maple syrup, and flakey sea salt.
- Chili crisp oil
- Fresh dill (or parsley)
- Cracked pepper
- Fresh lime wedges (optional)
To serve
I highly recommend serving this spicy carrot soup with a couple of slices of freshly toasted sourdough bread!
How to adjust the spiciness
Make it milder and/or kid-friendly: if you don’t want this soup to be spicy at all, omit the chili pepper, cayenne pepper, the ginger (or add just a little), and the chili crisp oil and optionally include a bell pepper and increase the amount of paprika used.
Adjust the spiciness just a little: to make it a little milder, use only 1/2 or 1/4 of the indicated amount of chili pepper, cayenne pepper, ginger, and chili crisp oil. Alternatively, to make it just a little spicier, increase the amount of those ingredients by about 25%.
Make it extra spicy: to make it extra spicy, either double or even triple the amount of chili pepper, cayenne pepper, ginger, and chili crisp oil.
Make it individually customizable: to let each of your guests choose their own level of heat, I’d recommend finely chopping the chili pepper and mincing the ginger, then sautéing them separately in a little oil alongside the cayenne pepper. You can then serve this paste/oil mix separately allowing each person to decide the amount they’d like to add themselves. The same goes for the chili crisp oil.
TIP: Love spicy recipes? Be sure to browse these spicy vegan recipes for even more ideas and inspiration.
Recommended Equipment
Step by Step Instructions (with Photos)
Note: the following is an overview of the ingredients needed to make this recipe. For the exact measurements, be sure to refer to the recipe card below.
Prepare the vegetables and other soup ingredients
Start by chopping the carrots (they’ll cook faster that way). No need to peel them (just brush them clean if they’re too dirty), but feel free to remove the ends.
Roughly chop the onion (they cook fast and will be blended, so no need to dice it finely.) Cut the ginger into two pieces of equal size. Cut one half into smaller chunks and set aside. You’ll be adding this half to the blender later on.
NOTE: ginger has a different flavor profile, as well as different benefits when it’s cooked compared to when it’s left raw. By separating the parts and adding them at different stages of the recipe, this spicy soup combines the flavor and benefits of both.
Mince, grate, or finely chop the other half of the ginger. Slice the chili pepper, mince the garlic, and remove the thyme leaves from the springs.
Sauté the the vegetables & add the spices
Heat the olive oil in a medium to large pot.
Add the chopped carrots and sauté them over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes.
Stir the carrots to ensure they cook evenly.
Add the onions and continue sautéing.
Next, add the minced ginger, chili pepper, garlic, and thyme. Mix well.
Add the dry spices and sugar and mix again and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Stir occasionally using a spatula or a wooden spoon.
Add the broth and simmer the spicy carrot soup
Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat.
Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and lime juice
Add the coconut milk and lime juice.
Mix the spicy carrot soup again.
Let the soup simmer for another 5 minutes.
Blend the spicy carrot soup
Add the soup to a high speed blender (I used this one), but be very careful as it will be extremely hot! Be sure to check if your blender has any restrictions for blending hot ingredients. You can also let the soup cool for a bit before blending it or use an immersion stick blender instead (I personally prefer using a high-speed blender as the result is much smoother.)
Add the remaining ginger to the blender.
Add the blender’s lid (again, be super careful and make sure it’s closed well to prevent the hot soup from spilling over.)
Start blending the soup slowly, using your blender’s slowest speed, then gradually increase.
If you’re using a high-speed blender, blending the soup will take less than a minute total.
Either transfer the soup back to the pot or serve directly.
STORAGE TIP: you can also let the soup cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to a couple of months.
Make the maple-glazed cashews
To make the maple-glazed cashews, toast your chopped cashews in a small nonstick saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat.
Once the cashews start turning golden (after about 1-2 minutes), turn off the heat.
Add the maple syrup and sea salt flakes, mix using a spatula and set aside.
Serve & Enjoy!
Finally, it’s time to serve the soup. The recipe makes two large or four small servings, so depending on which one you’ve opted for, prepare either small or large ceramic bowls.
Ladle the soup into the bowls.
Garnish with a drizzle of chili crisp oil.
Add the maple-glazed cashews and freshly cracked black pepper.
Top with fresh dill (no need to chop, you can just pull it right off the stems, then discard the stems.)
Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and extra chili crisp to taste.
Enjoy the soup by itself or with a slice or two of freshly toasted sourdough bread.
Spicy Carrot Soup – Recipe Video
Spicy Carrot Soup – Recipe Playlist
I love listening to music while cooking and baking (which is why my second cookbook includes a playlist for each recipe), so for this recipe, I put together a special playlist entitled “Songs to listen to while making soup or going for walk in autumn” (embedded below). I hope you enjoy it!
Spicy Carrot Soup – Recipe Card
Use this recipe card to save & pin this spicy carrot soup recipe. For additional step by step photos, recipe notes, and a recipe video, be sure to read the full article above. If you have any questions or feedback, leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
Spicy Carrot Soup with Maple-Glazed Cashews & Chili Crisp
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add the olive oil to a medium to large pot and heat over medium-high heat for about a minute, then add the carrots. Mix, then add the onion and sauté for another minute before adding the minced ginger (set the other 1/2 of the ginger aside for later), garlic, thyme, and chili pepper. Mix again and sauté for another 2 minutes before adding the brown sugar and dry spices. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the carrots begin to soften and the onions start turning translucent. Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. When it starts boiling reduce the heat to medium and cook the soup for 10 minutes, until the carrots are soft. Add the coconut milk and lime juice, mix and cook for another 5 minutes over medium-low heat, then remove from the heat (Note: you can already make the maple-glazed cashews at this point to save a little time). Blend the soup with the remaining ginger using a high-speed blender (be sure to check your blender's safety guidelines as it will be extremely hot!) or an immersion stick blender. Return the soup to the pot and set aside.
- Toast the chopped cashews in a small nonstick saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat until the cashews start turning golden (about 1-2 minutes.) Turn off the heat and add the maple syrup and sea salt flakes, mixing well using a spatula.
- Serve the soup in ceramic bowls and top with the chili crisp oil, maple-glazed cashews, cracked pepper, and fresh dill. Serve with extra lime wedges and toasted sourdough bread (otional.)
Notes
- This recipe makes 2 large servings as a main meal or 4 small servings as an appetizer.
- A “thumb” of ginger refers to a piece that’s about 1 inch (2.5cm) in length.
Tried this recipe?
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Similar Recipes You Might Like
If you enjoyed this Spicy Carrot Soup, you might also like some of the following recipes.
- Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegan Thai Curry Coconut Udon Noodle Soup
- Vegan Dumpling Soup (With Chickpeas)
- The Best Vegan French Onion Soup
- Gochujang Roasted Carrot Soup
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see! Tag @kimjuliehansen on Instagram and leave a comment below!
Looks delicious. Is there any nutritional info for the recipe? Thx
Hi Nancy! Thank you:) I intentionally don’t include nutritional info on this blog so that the focus is just on the food itself and the flavors. I do include it for every recipe on one of my other sites though. Here’s an example of a similar soup (with nutritional info) you might like: https://veganreset.com/creamy-roasted-butternut-squash-soup/ 😉
Can you clarify please. You’re not peeling or chopping the carrots? Just cooking them whole
Is that correct?
Thanks 🙏
Hi Kate! They’re chopped;) I had included it in the step by step instructions in the blog post above, but missed it here, so thanks for catching it! Just updated the recipe card. I don’t peel mine (I just brush them clean if they’re dirty), but feel free to peel yours if you prefer! (If you do, I’d just recommend adding an extra carrot or so in order to still get the same amount of soup overall!). Hope you enjoy the soup if you try it:)