This recipe uses simple ingredients to make a delicious vegan soup perfect for a cool day. It’s filled with carrots, fennel, and freshly squeezed orange juice and topped with cashew cream for a hearty, healthy, and cozy weeknight meal. Made in under 30 minutes!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
This post was originally published on September 6, 2014.
Vegan carrot soup is a cozy fall soup that is simply comforting! It’s creamy, rich, smooth, and perfectly seasonal. Plus it’s a fantastic way to use up seasonal produce from your local CSA or from services like Imperfect Produce.
Best of all? Not only is this soup vegan but it is also naturally gluten-free. It’s a soup you’ll enjoy serving and sharing with your friends and family; it’s not only yummy but wholesome and good for you too.
Ingredients & Substitutions
My vegan carrot soup only uses a few fresh ingredients. With substitution options, you may not even need to take a trip to the grocery store!
Here is everything you need.
Ingredient Notes
- Oil – I use olive oil, but you could substitute water for the oil if you want to reduce the calories and fat of the soup
- Carrots – Look for bright orange ones that are about medium-sized and taper towards the end. Thicker carrots tend to be tougher. Avoid carrots with black spots near the tip or that do not have mostly smooth skin, these have started to turn bad.
- Fennel – Find bulbs that are white, firm, and feel heavy. Their leaves should be green and not limp. Avoid fennel that has wet spots, is mushy, or appears dried out and shriveled.
- Onion – I recommend yellow or white onion but any type of onion will work.
- Orange juice – I recommend using fresh squeezed (<<affiliate link).
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One – Prepare the Veggies and Cashews
Before starting, place the cashews in a bowl of water to soak. They need to soak for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Wash and peel the carrots. Slice off the ends about ¼ to ½ inch from the tips and slice the carrot into roughly 1/2″ pieces and set aside.
Slice both ends off the onion. Place the onion on the flat bottom that you just sliced. Cut the onion in half. Remove the outer one to layers until the firm, white flesh of the onion is exposed. Place the onion on the cutting board so the flat side is facing down. Slice thin, roughly equal width slices following the grain of the onion and then repeat for the other half.
For the fennel, start by cutting off the bottom roots and the green leaf stalks on the top. Peel away the outer, tougher layer to expose the white flesh beneath. Cut the fennel bulb in half lengthwise and then cut it again in half lengthwise. This leaves four roughly equal parts. Towards the bottom of the bulb, cut away the tough inner circle on each quarter. Finally, slice the fennel into thin stripes following the length of the onion.
Step Two – Cook the Soup
In a large soup pot (<<affiliate link), heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add in the fennel slices and onion. Cook them, stirring frequently, until they are soft, translucent, and have turned a golden color. Next, add in the carrots and garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Pour in the vegetable broth and stir the contents. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer the soup for about 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in salt and orange juice. At this point, taste the soup and add additional seasonings if needed.
Step Three – Blend the soup
Allow the soup to cool slightly. Carefully pour the soup into your blender. Be sure not to fill it past half full or you could end up making a mess. This means you may need to blend the soup in batches. Blend the soup until it is a smooth consistency.
Pro Tip: Alternatively, you could use an immersion blender to purée the soup. It won’t get quite as smooth but it makes less mess!
Step Four – Make the Cashew Cream
Drain and rinse the cashews. Place the cashews and the rest of the ingredients for the cream in your high power blender. Blend the ingredients until a smooth cream forms.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have a high-powered blender, soak the cashews for about 6 hours ahead of time and blend them in a food processor.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Serving and Storing
Serving – Like any soup, this soup is best served hot and fresh. Once ready, ladle the soup into individual bowls and add a dollop of cashew cream. For some added heat, crack some fresh black pepper on top. I like to serve this soup with a salad, as a side to this butternut squash pasta, buttermilk biscuits, or vegan grilled cheese.
Storing – You can store the soup in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days. To store it, let the soup cool down completely before transferring it to an airtight container. You can also freeze the soup. First, allow it to cool to room temperature. Place the soup in a freezer safe container and place in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you are ready to serve it, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator.
Reheating – To reheat, you can either place the soup in the microwave for a few minutes to warm it through. You could also pour it into a pot and reheat over medium-low heat until the soup has warmed through.
Tips and Tricks
- Use fresh carrots for the recipe. Frozen carrots are often softened from the freezing process and don’t taste as fresh or good as ones you can find in the produce aisle.
- Keep an eye on the onions and fennel when they cook. They are easy to burn on the stovetop and can make the soup taste acrid if they burn. Stir frequently to avoid this.
- To reduce sodium, use a low-sodium vegetable broth. They taste almost identical but often contain a fraction of the amount of salt.
- Feel free to swap out the oil with a tablespoon of water to reduce the calories and fat.
- Avoid extra clean up and use an immersion blender to purée the soup. It won’t get quite as smooth but it makes less mess!
Frequently Asked Questions
Fennel is similar to onion. You need to start by removing the top leafy, green section and the bottom roots. Next, remove the outer layer from the bulb to reveal the white flesh of the bulb underneath.
Once the outer layer is removed, slice the fennel bulb in half lengthwise. Take each half and slice them both in half lengthwise again.
Turn the fennel bulb onto its outside layer. Towards the bottom, you should see a hard white area. Cut the hard part away and then thinly slice the quarter of the fennel ball lengthwise.
The cashew cream adds a tasty, creaminess to the soup. If you prefer to not add it or are allergic to cashews, you can skip this step.
Yes, you can make this soup in advance for an easy lunch or to bring to a get together the next day. If you are making it for a lunch, I recommend placing it in individual containers for easy grab options in the morning.
More Vegan Soup Recipes
- Classic 10-Minute Vegan Miso Soup
- Loaded Vegan Baked Potato Soup
- Thai Noodle Soup with Tofu
- Classic Vegan Corn Chowder
- Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
For more inspiration, make sure to check out all of my vegan soup recipes!
Carrot and Orange Soup
Ingredients
Carrot Fennel Soup
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Cashew Creme
- 1/4 cup cashews, soaked 30 minutes
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Before starting, place the cashews in a bowl of water to soak. Make sure they are fully submerged and give them at least 30 minutes to soak. This softens the nut and makes it easier to blend into cashew cream.
- Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the sliced fennel and onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Stir in the vegetable broth. Bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook 20 minutes until carrots are tender. Remove from the heat and stir in orange juice and salt. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Let the soup cool slightly. Then transfer it to a blender and blend until completely smooth. You may have to do this in batches. Do not fill your blender more than halfway or it may leak out. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender to purée the soup. It won't get quite as smooth but it makes less mess!
- Drain and rinse the cashews. Combine all the ingredients for the cashew cream in a high powered blender, like a VitaMix and blend until completely smooth. If you do not have a Vitamix, soak the cashews for at least 6 hours prior to making the soup and blend them in a regular blender.
- Serve the soup warm with a dollop of cashew cream and freshly ground pepper.
Notes
- Use fresh carrots for the recipe. Frozen carrots are often softened from the freezing process and don’t taste as fresh or good as ones you can find in the produce aisle.
- To reduce sodium, use a low-sodium vegetable broth. They taste almost identical but often contain a fraction of the amount of salt.
- Feel free to swap out the oil with a tablespoon of water to reduce the calories and fat.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Bonnie Miller says
so far all the recipes that I have wanted to make are made with cashew cream. I am not the only person who is allergic to cashews. Do you have a decent replacement?
Rachel says
I just made this tonight. It’s great! I added a potato because I only had about 3.5 cups of carrots. Still tastes good. The cashew cream though isn’t exactly cream. I’d call it more “Cashew Liquid.” It also tastes rather salty. Should I have reduced the amount of water? I did soak my cashews all day because I was going to make the soup earlier and just ran out of time. I didn’t think that would matter though, as I’ve soaked nuts for longer periods of time when making other items. Anyway, thank you for the inspiration! I had some fennel and had no idea what to do with it.
Cath says
Just made this and it was really good – none of that bland stuff I normally associate with carrot soup – has to be done with the cashew cream – fab!
Jess says
This looks so great! Orange and fennel is one of my favorite flavor combinations, but I have never tried them in a soup. I can’t wait to try this one out!
Marla Meridith says
This soup sounds wonderful…pinned!
Kimberly says
This looks amazing, can’t wait to try it! Do you think I could substitute olive oil for the butter? Also, would I be able to make the cashew cream in a food processor instead of a blender? Thanks Sarah! Love the new site, btw!
Sarah says
Thanks Kim! Olive oil would work fine. The food processor will take longer and will never get it quite as smooth but with patience you should get it smooth enough. You probably should register for a Vita-mix though 😉
Laura Black says
Congratulations on the new website!! It looks wonderful, so does this recipe. When I receive fennel in my CSA box, I always scratch my head wondering what to do with it. This recipe is inspiring, especially with the cashew cream add on. Yum!!!
Sarah says
Thanks Laura!
The Vegan Cookie Fairy says
Adding orange juice to a vegetable soup sounds rather daring to me! I’m guilty of not cooking with fennel much either, despite it being such a lovely vegetable with an interesting flavour. Thanks for the much-needed inspiration! 🙂
Sarah says
Oh, it’s delicious when added to creamy. squashy soups. It gives it just the kick it needs.