This easy carrot and potato soup is a creamy, comforting meal made with simple ingredients and plenty of fresh vegetable flavor. Tender carrots and Yukon Gold potatoes simmer with garlic, onion, and savory herbs before being blended into a smooth, hearty soup. It's an easy one-pot recipe that doesn't require any heavy cream!
As a cookbook author and professional recipe developer, I love recipes that turn everyday ingredients into something delicious. This carrot potato soup is perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner, especially when you want something inexpensive and easy to make. Serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich or crusty bread for a filling meal.
If you're looking for more cozy soup recipes, try my Roasted Red Pepper and Gouda Soup, Cannellini Bean and Escarole Soup, or Great Northern Bean Soup.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients: This soup uses affordable pantry staples and fresh vegetables, making it a great option when you don't want to make another trip to the grocery store.
- Creamy without cream: The potatoes naturally thicken the soup when blended, creating a rich, smooth texture without adding dairy.
- Easy to customize: You can adjust the herbs, add other vegetables, or blend the soup to your preferred consistency. It's also easy to make vegan by using vegetable stock.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this easy carrot and potato soup:
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is used to sauté the vegetables and build flavor.
- Onion: White onion adds a savory base to the soup. Yellow onion works well, too.
- Celery: Adds an aromatic flavor that balances the sweetness of the carrots.
- Carrots: Fresh carrots add natural sweetness and give the soup its color. Peel and dice them into evenly sized pieces.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic adds plenty of flavor.
- Herbs: Dried sage, thyme, and rosemary give the soup a savory, earthy flavor.
- Salt and black pepper: Season the vegetables and adjust to taste before serving.
- Potatoes: I recommend yellow potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, because they have a naturally buttery texture and blend well into creamy soups.
- Stock: Use vegetable or chicken stock, depending on your preference. I like using a flavorful stock because it makes a big difference in simple recipes like this.
- Bread: Serve with your favorite crusty bread for dipping.
How to Make Carrot and Potato Soup
Let's make this carrot soup together!
Sauté the Vegetables
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. This helps develop the flavor of the soup before adding the stock.
Add the Seasonings
Stir in the minced garlic, dried sage, thyme, rosemary, salt, and black pepper. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic and herbs are fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
Simmer the Soup
Add the diced potatoes and stock to the pot. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are completely tender. The vegetables should be soft enough to easily pierce with a fork.
Blend and Serve
Remove the pot from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. For a more rustic texture, blend just part of the soup and leave some of the vegetables intact. If the soup is thicker than you'd like, add a splash of additional stock until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Tina's Tips and Tricks
- Cut the vegetables evenly. Dice the carrots and potatoes into similar-sized pieces so they cook at the same rate. Smaller pieces will also make the soup easier to blend.
- Use Yukon Gold potatoes. These potatoes have a naturally creamy texture and buttery flavor. Russet potatoes also work, but be careful not to overblend them, since they can become gummy.
- Blend carefully. An immersion blender makes this recipe especially easy because you can blend everything directly in the pot. If using a countertop blender, let the soup cool slightly and blend in small batches, following your blender's instructions for hot liquids.
- Adjust the consistency. This soup thickens as it cools because of the potatoes. Stir in additional warm stock when reheating if you prefer a thinner soup.
- Taste before serving. Potatoes absorb a lot of seasoning, so taste the finished soup and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Kitchen Equipment
Here is some kitchen equipment you will need for this creamy soup. You can find all of these products on Amazon.
- Soup pot - A good quality large pot is a must for soup season! This one is of great quality.
- Soup bowls - These are some of my favorite soup bowls of all time. They are the perfect size and keep the soup nice and warm.
Recipe Substitutions/Variations
Thereare plenty of ways to customize this easy potato and carrot soup depending on what you have available.
- Make it vegan: Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. The original recipe doesn't contain dairy, so no other changes are needed.
- Add more vegetables: Try adding a diced leek with the onion and celery, or stir in a handful of fresh spinach after blending.
- Make it spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper along with the dried herbs for a little heat.
- Use fresh herbs: Substitute fresh sage, thyme, or rosemary for the dried herbs. Start with about three times the amount of fresh herbs and adjust to taste.
- Make it extra creamy: Stir in a splash of heavy cream or coconut milk after blending for a richer soup.
- Add toppings: Try crispy croutons, roasted pumpkin seeds, fresh parsley, or a drizzle of good olive oil.
What To Serve With
Here are some recipes to serve alongside this healthy recipe:
- Margherita Flatbread - This Margherita Flatbread is made with slices of fresh tomatoes, flavorful basil, gooey mozzarella cheese, and dollops of pesto all on top of a crispy flatbread crust.
- Sautéed Sweet Potatoes - This super easy sautéed sweet potatoes recipe is the perfect flavor packed side dish. They're my favorite way to make sweet potatoes!
- Brie Grilled Cheese - This Brie Grilled Cheese is a delicious sandwich that you will want to make for your next lunch or dinner meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You can definitely use different types of potatoes in this Carrot and Potato Soup to suit your taste or what you have on hand. While the recipe suggests yellow potatoes, you can experiment with other varieties like russet potatoes, red potatoes, or even sweet potatoes. Just keep in mind that different potatoes may yield slightly varied results, but they'll all contribute to a delicious and hearty soup.
A classic choice, a crusty baguette is perfect for dunking into the soup. Its crisp exterior and soft interior complement the soup's creamy texture. Other great choices would be:Â
You could try tossing in some additional vegetables like leeks, bell peppers, or spinach for added color and nutrition.
Recipe Storage and Reheating
Here are storage and reheating instructions for this comfort food recipe:
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in an airtight container and eat leftovers within 4-5 days.
- Freezer Storage: Freeze in a freezer-safe, airtight container and keep for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator and reheat as instructed below.
- Reheating Instructions: The best way to reheat this recipe is to heat in a saucepan over low heat until warm.
Other Recipes to Try
Carrot and Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 white onion diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb yellow potatoes diced
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- Fresh bread for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots and sauté for 8-10 minutes, until softened.
- Add garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, salt, and black pepper. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add potatoes and stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup. You may blend until smooth or blend to maintain some potato pieces based on your preference.
- Serve with fresh bread.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Leave a comment below or tag us @tasting.with.tina on Instagram!
Emma says
Quick easy healthy cheap soup will definitely make it again
Christina Musgrave says
Thanks, Emma!
Cindy Brown says
Can hardly wait to make this, sounds delish! Thanks for sharing!
Christina Musgrave says
Thanks Cindy - I think you'll love it!
Katie says
Can this be made in a crock pot?
Christina Musgrave says
Hey Katie! Definitely. Add all ingredients to the crock pot, stir, and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the potatoes are tender. Blend with an immersion blender to your desired consistency, then taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
Katie says
It turned out perfect!!! Absolutely delicious, thank you!!
Christina Musgrave says
So glad you liked it!