Purée of Carrot Soup

By
Danilo Alfaro
Danlio Alfaro
Danilo Alfaro
Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.
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Updated on 04/28/21
Purée of Carrot Soup

The Spruce / Ali Redmond
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1024 Calories
36g Fat
124g Carbs
34g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 1024
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 36g 46%
Saturated Fat 18g 88%
Cholesterol 90mg 30%
Sodium 1987mg 86%
Total Carbohydrate 124g 45%
Dietary Fiber 20g 70%
Total Sugars 38g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 38mg 192%
Calcium 251mg 19%
Iron 6mg 35%
Potassium 3318mg 71%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This classic purée of carrot soup, called potage Crecy in France, is vibrantly colorful and aromatic. It has few ingredients, and carrots are the star, but the carrots are not overpowering. No flavor seems to dominate. All ingredients in this recipe come together to form a delicate, balanced mouthful of flavor.

This soup is made using the basic procedure for making pureed soups and is thickened by the natural starch from the carrots as well as added potato. "Potage" is the French term for a thick, creamy soup that is often puréed, and Crecy is a place in northern France known for producing some of the country’s best carrots. 

If you cannot source your carrots from Crecy, then go for slender, fresh looking carrots, preferably organic. Larger, thicker carrots can often be tough.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound carrots

  • 1 medium russet potato

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

  • 1 clove garlic, crushed

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine

  • 1 quart vegetable stock, more if needed

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Purée of Carrot Soup ingredients

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  2. Peel the carrots and trim the top and bottom ends. Cut carrots into (roughly) same-sized pieces, about 1/2 inch to 1 inch thick, depending on diameter. Do not worry about precision—the soup is going to be puréed.

    Peel the carrots and trim the top and bottom ends, cut into pieces

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  3. Peel the potato and cut it into pieces about the same size as the carrots.

    Peel the potato and cut it into pieces

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  4. In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat the butter over low-to-medium heat.

    pot with butter

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  5. Add the onion, garlic, and carrots and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the onion is slightly translucent, stirring more or less continuously.

    onions, carrots and garlic in a pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  6. Add the wine and cook for another minute or two or until the wine is reduced by about half.

    add wine to the onions and carrots to the pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  7. Add the stock and the potato. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are soft enough that they can easily be pierced with a knife. Do not let them get overcooked or mushy.

    stock and potatoes added to the carrot mixture in the pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  8. Remove from heat and purée in a blender, working in batches if necessary. Use care when processing hot items in a blender as the hot steam can sometimes blow the blender lid off. Start on a slow speed with the lid slightly ajar to vent any steam, then seal the lid and increase the blending speed. Alternatively, use an immersion blender.

    carrot soup in a blender

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  9. Return puréed soup to the pot and bring to a simmer again, adding more broth or stock to adjust the thickness to your liking.

    pureed carrot soup added back to the pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  10. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

    season the Purée of Carrot Soup in the pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Variations

  • Ginger-flavored carrot soup: Add 1/4 cup of minced fresh ginger at the point in the recipe that you add the onions and garlic.
  • A hint of thyme: After puréeing, add 1 tbsp. of fresh thyme leaves before bringing the soup back to a simmer.
  • Make it creamy: Stir 1/4 cup hot cream into the soup just before serving.
  • Thicken it with rice: The soup can be thickened with rice instead of potato. Substitute about 1/3 cup of uncooked rice for the potato, and simmer the soup until the rice is soft.


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