Thai Carrot Soup With Ginger and Lemongrass Recipe

By
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt is a cookbook author and culinary teacher who specializes in Thai cuisine.
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Updated on 05/25/22
Carrot soup

sandoclr/Getty Images 

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
492 Calories
27g Fat
58g Carbs
13g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 492
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 23g 115%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1841mg 80%
Total Carbohydrate 58g 21%
Dietary Fiber 11g 40%
Protein 13g
Calcium 262mg 20%
*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 Thai version of carrot soup has ginger, garlic, and lemongrass along with a combination of vegetables, rice, and fresh Thai herbs and spices. It is extremely delicious and makes an elegant soup to serve guests. Enjoy it as an appetizer, or add a crusty loaf of French bread on the side for the main course. If you use vegetable broth this becomes a nice vegetarian Thai recipe that's also easy to make - it's ready in just 30 minutes!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons oil (for stir-frying)
  • 1 small onion (chopped)
  • 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 1 to 2 pieces galangal (thumb-size or ginger, chopped fine)
  • 1 stalk lemongrass (finely sliced, or 2 tablespoons frozen prepared lemongrass)
  • 1 red chili (fresh minced, omit if you prefer a milder soup or 1 to 2 teaspoons chilli sauce
  • 4 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
  • 1/4 cup Thai jasmine rice (or any type of white or brown rice)
  • 7 carrots (medium size, sliced the slices can be thick, as the soup will be pureed later)
  • 1 tablespoon cumin (ground)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cardamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
  • 1 to 3 tablespoons fish (or vegetarian fish sauce)
  • 1/2 lime (squeezed for juice)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 handful coriander (fresh)
  • 1 handful basil (fresh)

Steps to Make It

  1. Pour 2 tablespoons oil into the bottom of a large soup pot. Add onion, garlic, galangal or ginger, lemongrass and fresh chili (or chili sauce). Stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  2. Add the broth and rice. Bring to a boil.

  3. Add the carrots plus the spices (cumin, cardamom, nutmeg). Reduce heat to medium, cover, and continue cooking for another 15 minutes, or until carrots and rice are soft; brown rice will take longer to cook, and will absorb more liquid, so you may need to add a little more broth.

  4. Add the coconut milk and stir. Remove from the heat and puree the soup in batches in your blender. Return soup to the soup pot.

  5. Rewarm soup over medium heat. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice. Taste-test for salt, adding more fish sauce instead of salt, as needed. If your soup turns out too salty, add more lime juice. Add more fresh chili or chili sauce if not spicy enough.​

  6. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with fresh coriander and basil. 

    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.

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