Roasted Carrot Soup with Bacon and Ginger
Sweet, roasted carrots, bacon, ginger, and cream make this soup rich and velvety. The perfect way to spotlight your garden’s beautiful carrots this summer. Topped with bacon, croutons, and fresh basil, this soup is sure to be a new family favorite!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Soup
Ingredients
3 pounds whole carrots, peeled*
3 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, about 1-inch piece
1/2-1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil, plus more for garnish
1 cup garlic croutons, roughly chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Arrange peeled carrots on a large rimmed baking sheet and coat well with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast on center oven rack for 45 minutes, until very tender, turning halfway through to promote even browning.
Meanwhile, in a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from pot with slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the pot. Add onion and garlic to the pot and sauté until onions are translucent and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add chicken stock to the pot and bring to a simmer.
Transfer roasted carrots to the pot. Add the ginger and season with salt and pepper.
Working in batches if needed, transfer the soup to a blender and pulse until very smooth. Return to the pot and reduce heat to low.
Stir in ½ cup of cream, balsamic, and basil. Cook another minute or two until hot but do not boil. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add remaining cream as needed to reach your desired consistency.
Serve immediately, topped with bacon, basil, croutons, and black pepper if desired.
Notes
*Any carrots will work well. I find that the best flavor comes from carrots that are small to medium in size, not the giant ones that are sold in bulk that seem better suited to feeding horses.
Keywords: roasted carrot soup, carrot ginger soup