This spiced carrot soup is cozy, a little sweet, lightly spiced and honestly way more exciting than a carrot has any right to be. It’s creamy, comforting and made with pantry staple spices that give it that warm flavor and slow-simmered feel without requiring too much effort.
The spices paired with sweetness from the carrots perfectly balances the rest of the soup, and white beans give it protein while keeping it plant-based! It’s an easy recipe with a big pay off, and worth adding to your soup rotation!
Read on for the recipe, storage tips as well as any substitutions that may help!
Table of contents
- Why this roasted carrot soup is worth making
- Ingredients to make this carrot soup
- Ingredients you’ll need for the crispy chickpeas
- Why these chickpeas are a flavorful topping rather than just a crunchy one
- Ingredient substitutions
- Storage suggestions and tips
- Watch the recipe here:
- Looking for similar recipes?
- Old Version
Why this roasted carrot soup is worth making
- It’s perfectly balanced. The smoky undertones from the smoked paprika offsets the sweetness from the carrots for a very harmonious soup.
- It’s a creamy and comforting soup to enjoy during the winter months thanks to the white beans and the trick of blending 2/3 soup!
- We’re keeping things low waste by using the entirety of our veggies, like the scallions!
Ingredients to make this carrot soup
- 2 pounds carrots, divided
- 1 large (16 oz) yellow onion, halved
- 1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 large bunch (5 oz) scallions
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 15.5-ounce can white beans, drained
- 6 cups vegetable broth, or 1 1/2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon vegetable base dissolved in 6 cups of water
- 1 13.5-ounce can of coconut milk
- 1 lime
For serving:
- Warm pita or sourdough
Ingredients you’ll need for the crispy chickpeas
- 1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon each oregano, paprika, cumin, coriander
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Why these chickpeas are a flavorful topping rather than just a crunchy one
Thanks to the tomato paste and the aromatics from the spices, the chickpeas become both vibrant and flavorful. I know we all love a crispy topping so don’t worry, you will still get nice texture from the roasted chickpeas but their true purpose is the addition of a rich, umami flavor! They are best mixed into the soup.
Ingredient substitutions
This recipe is truly delicious as is but it is very flexible, nearly every ingredient can be customized to better fit your needs. Here are some substitution suggestions:
- Carrots: Because they are heart of the recipe, I recommend only swapping them out for sweet potatoes.
- Onion: Can be swapped for red onion, shallot, the white part of one large leek, or a fennel bulb (if you like fennel!)
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Swap for avocado oil, grapeseed oil, really any oil you like!
- Garlic cloves: Swap for 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, or you can omit
- White beans: Swap with either more chickpeas or silken tofu to ensure you still get that creamy texture!
- Vegetable broth: Swap for any broth or stock you have on hand or dissolve Better Than Bouillon in 6 cups water.
- Coconut milk: Swap with heavy cream or whole milk but remember, the recipe will no longer be dairy-free.
- Red pepper flakes: Swap for 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, or you can omit
- Smoked paprika: Swap with chipotle chili powder or regular paprika, or you can omit
Storage suggestions and tips
Here’s the best way to store it, based on each method:
- Fridge: You can portion these into individual 16-ounce containers (perfect for one portion), and they will keep in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Reheat either in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.
- Freezer: You can portion these into individual 16-ounce containers and freeze them for up to 3 months. To reheat, pop them out of their containers and gently heat them in a pot on the stovetop until the soup is at a simmer. Remove the heat and serve.
Watch the recipe here:
The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.
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And that’s everything for this Spiced Carrot Soup!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
You can also shop this video if you’re looking for the exact pieces I use – I’ve linked everything on my ShopMy! *some links may contain affiliate commissions
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Servings:
Ingredients
For the chickpeas:
- 1 (15.5 oz) can chickpeas, drained
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste, (option to omit this)
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the carrot soup:
- 2 pounds carrots, divided
- 1 (16 oz) large yellow onion, halved
- 1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 (5 oz) large bunch scallions
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 (15.5 oz) can white beans
- 6 cups vegetable broth, or 1 1/2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon vegetable base dissolved in 6 cups of water
- 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
For serving:
- 1 lime
- warm pita or sourdough
Instructions
- Stagger two racks in the oven and preheat to 400°F convection or 425°F standard.
For the chickpeas:
- Drain the can of chickpeas and mix it together with 4 tablespoons tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon each of oregano, paprika, cumin and coriander, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well then scatter on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Roast for 25 minutes on the top rack of the oven, until the chickpeas are a deep, dark red color. Set the roasted chickpeas aside for serving.
For the soup:
- Slice 1 pound of carrots on an angle and slice 1/2 of the onion into big chunks. Scatter these on a sheet pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 20 minutes, or until they are nicely charred.
- Grate the 4 garlic cloves, thinly slice the white scallion bottoms, and dice the remaining carrots and half of the onion. Set these aside momentarily.
- To a large pot over medium heat, add 1/4 cup olive oil, then 1/2 teaspoon each oregano, red pepper flakes and paprika.
- Add the scallion bottoms, carrots and onion and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and white beans and stir to cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the garlic is no longer raw.
- By now the vegetables should be out of the oven. Pour in the broth, add the roasted vegetables, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk. Use an immersion blender or blender to blend up two thirds of the soup, leaving a bit of texture.
- Slice the remaining scallion greens and add most of them to the soup, reserving some for serving.
- Portion the soup into bowls and scatter the chickpeas and scallions on top. Serve with lime wedges and warm pita.
Serving: 14ozCalories: 394kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 8gFat: 24g
Old Version
Below is the original Carrot & White Bean Soup with Harissa Sesame Oil that was first developed in 2022. For the updated recipe, please see the above.
Makes 6 servings
Total cook time: 1 hour and 25 minutes
Ingredients
For the carrot & white bean soup:
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large jalapeños, thinly sliced and seeds removed
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons dried mint
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 pounds carrots, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1 (15-ounce) can of butter beans, or any white bean, drained
- 6 cups vegetable broth
For the harissa sesame oil:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white or black sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon mild harissa paste, I like the Mina brand
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Instructions
- Set a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and let it heat up for a few minutes. Add the sliced jalapeño, 1 tablespoon of the dried mint and 1 tablespoon of the dried oregano. Season with a few big pinches of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the onion and garlic and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until the onion has softened.
- Add the carrots and beans and stir to coat them in the oil and other ingredients. Cover the pot, leaving a crack to release steam, and cook for 8-10 minutes. Stir every few minutes or so. Season with another pinch of salt.
- Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the carrots are very soft.
- Use a slotted spoon to scoop out 2 cups of the vegetables/beans in the pot. Set them aside and use an immersion blender to blend the rest of the soup until it is smooth. Then add the vegetables/beans back in. Stir to combine and reduce the heat to low.
- Add the remaining two teaspoons of dried mint and two teaspoons of dried oregano. Season with salt as preferred.
- To make the harissa oil, set a small sauté pan on the burner next to the soup. Set it over medium heat and add the olive oil, sesame seeds and harissa paste. Bring this to a simmer and let it sizzle for 3 minutes. Then turn off the heat.
- Add the brown sugar and a pinch of salt and stir. When the oil has cooled enough to taste, taste and add salt as preferred.
- To serve, scoop the soup into bowls and drizzle with the harissa sesame oil. Enjoy warm!
Comments
I really like the concept of this recipe but found I had to make some tweaks. First, it needed acid. If I had lemon on hand, I think that would have been ideal but I didn’t so I used white wine vinegar and that helped a lot. For my preferences, I also wanted more beans, I added used 2 cans of great northern. I put 1 1/2 in while it was cooking and when I added back in the 2 cups of solids, I also added in the other 1/2 of the beans. I did not add sugar to the harissa oil because I felt like it was all already sweet enough from the carrots. I also doubled the harissa part so I could add more to each bowl. With those tweaks, I really enjoyed this.
Sooo yummy! Unfortunately couldn’t find harissa at the local grocery so I used gochujang as an alternative, but still perfect! Love the mint in this recipe!
So glad you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a kind comment!
I just made this on a cold snowy night and it was the PERFECT warm soup. I love all of the veggies but it’s the beans that made that velvety think consistency that really sold me. I will definitely be recommending this one!
I’m so SO glad you liked it! Also the fact that you made it on a snowy day >>>> Soup season is the best. Thank you for taking the time to leave such a nice comment and review!
Almost everyone I know is sick right now, so I made this fantastic soup and had enough for myself and to bring to others. Tt was so good, the mint and jalapenos set everything off perfectly! All my friends texted me as well saying how much it helped with their colds, a winner for sure. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
This comment made my day! I’m so happy you liked it, and get well soon!
This was SUCH an incredible balance of sweet heat. That cluster of sesame seeds in a bite is the truth. I just made this last night and can’t wait to make it again.
I made the recipe just as printed and it was delicious! I will make it again. Though it’s Vegan I would say it would be loved by vegans and meat lovers alike. Thank you again!
This comment is so kind! I’m so thrilled you liked it, thank you for taking the time to leave such a kind review.
I was afraid to make this soup because of the jalapenos – I worried it would be too spicy. WOW – they add the PERFECT amount of heat in the finish…. Thanks for another great recipe – just delicious, soothing and very original!!
So SO happy you liked it! And I’m glad you were able to taste what the jalapeño adds – it’s one of my favorite secret soup staples 🙂
I was blown away by this soup! I knew it was going to be a winner as soon as I saw the ingredients list, but I didn’t realize how much I’d love the combination of mint and jalapeño! They pair together so nicely, and combined with the creamy beans and tender carrots (PLUS that addictive harissa sesame oil), you have what’s now my favorite carrot soup.
I only had hot harissa on hand, and the extra bit of heat in the oil was very nice.
I love the heat with the mint in this recipe! I can’t wait to share this with my family. I did end up using chickpeas because I forgot to buy beans, but it was awesome.
So glad you liked it! And chickpeas are the perfect swap 🙂
Made this for Sunday dinner and WOW it was so so good!!! I love that it feels warm and winter without being the usual winter soup players (butternut squash, lookin at you). Also the harissa sesame oil was the perfect touch and should not be skipped! Made the dish. Love love love!!
So SO happy you liked it!!
I really liked this soup but felt there was far too much oregano and mint, which really overpowered the other flavors. I definitely plan to make it again, but with about half the recommended amount of those. Great choice for dinner on a cold winter night, though!
Excellent dish! I had an abundance of yellow carrots and was happy to find this recipe to use them up. I had a jar of Calabrian peppers on hand so used four peppers in place of the jalapenos which added just the right amount of heat, for me. Didn’t have any mint on hand so I don’t know what I missed. The harissa sauce added a really special finishing touch. Thank you for sharing!
So so glad you liked it!
Another fantastic recipe from you. Made this during a snowstorm and it’s THE most perfect cold day soup. The oil was the cherry on top.
Enjoyed the soup with a piece of toasted naan on the side. Thank you so much for sharing, Justine! I’ll be coming back to this one.
Loved it! Brought it as a contribution to a dinner date I had, and it was a hit! I also added more beans, but left everything else the same. Didn’t have harrissa so used chilli crisp, and added some pine nuts to the top I seem to add toasted pine nuts to all my soups 🙂 thanks for the recipe!
So glad you liked it!
Made the Spiced Carrot Soup, and it was even better than I imagined. I already had all the ingredients in the kitchen, how lovely, and it was perfect for the rainy weather. Yummy, flavorful, a lot less carrot-y than I expected which I appreciated. The white beans really put in work. Green onions and crispy chickpeas are the perfect toppings. Will be making again 🙂
I’m so thrilled you liked it! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Commenting on the updated version! This soup is SO GOOD. Like best soup I’ve made in years, good. Once you add the lime at the end, it goes from a good soup to something special. Will save and make again!!!
I’m so so glad you love it!! Thanks so much for making this again and taking the time to leave a review <3
This was insanely good – made it exactly as written and it turned out fantastic. I love the idea of blending part of the soup so it gets creamy but still having texture from the other part as well as the crunchy chic peas. Will be making on repeat.
I’m so so glad you loved it! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
For the NEW version…. why do you roast half the carrots/onions and fry the other half? Does frying give you some flavor you can’t get with roasting?
The opposite! Roasting gives you better charring and caramelization, where I don’t want the sautéed vegetables in the pot to get too much color. I opt to roast a bit of the vegetables for the soup so I can maximize on the flavor from both sources!
After cooking my way through your cookbook and many free (thank you) incredible recipes on your blog, I have to say this one is now in my top 3 of all time. Absolutely amazing. Thank you for being YOU!
Ahh this is music to my ears!! Thank you so much for your support and I’m so glad you love this soup and so many others <3
Saw your post, had all the ingredients in my pantry – felt like kismet. Was a little shy on carrots so added half a sweet potato, but otherwise made as written. The chickpeas! The hint of spice! Yum! Might try cashew cream instead of coconut next time for savoriness. Between your IG recipes and new cookbook, my kitchen is a Justine Doiron takeover – I’m not mad about it
Omg definitely kismet! I’m so glad you loved it and thank you so much for your support, it means everything to me <3
loved the soup although took me longer than expected, definitely not a quick dinner. the tomato paste crunchy chickpeas did not turn out as planned, as a lot of the paste burnt in the oven. but i’m overall pretty happy with the end result and the many leftovers i now have.
I’m so glad you ended up enjoying it! Thank you for the feedback and taking the time to leave a review!
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