Carrots are one of the greatest gifts from the earth. These sweet, crunchy sticks of joy can be great to snack on in their crisp and cool natural form or taken to the next level by being roasted into a soft and candy-like consistency. That’s where this new, thick, rich and creamy fall-favorite Roasted Carrot Soup comes in. Just be sure to hide some from Bugs Bunny because it’s so good he’s going to steal the whole pot!
Watch The Video!
Prep The Carrots
Roast The Carrots
Start The Soup
Purée The Soup
The Finishing Touches
The Taste Test
Instant Pot Roasted Carrot Soup
Carrots are one of the greatest gifts from the earth. These sweet, crunchy sticks of joy can be great to snack on in their crisp and cool natural form or taken to the next level by being roasted into a soft and candy-like consistency. That's where this new, thick, rich and creamy fall-favorite Roasted Carrot Soup comes in. Just be sure to hide some from Bugs Bunny because it's so good he's going to steal the whole pot!
Ingredients
The Carrots
- 3 pounds medium-sized carrots, peeled, cute in half longways and then sideways (so you get 4 pieces per carrot - see Jeff's Tips)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
- 1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
The Soup
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) salted butter
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves (1 tablespoon) garlic, minced or pressed
- 4 cups chicken or garlic broth (e.g. 4 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic Base + 4 cups water)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Roast The Carrots: Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a large bowl, add the carrots and all the remaining ingredients. With clean hands, toss until all the carrots are coated in the seasoned oil. You'll have some leftover and we want that reserved when we add it to the soup.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the oiled carrots on it in a single layer. Once the oven or air fryer is heated, place on the center rack. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the carrots are softened enough to pierce with a fork or to your liking (see Jeff's Tips).
- Start the Soup: About 15 minutes before the carrots are done roasting, go to your Instant Pot and hit Sauté and Adjust so it’s on the More or High setting. Add the butter and, once melted and bubbling, add the onion and bell pepper. Sauté about 3-5 minutes until softened and a little browned and then add in the garlic and stir for another minute.
- Once the carrots are done roasting, reserve 1/4 of them, dicing them up. Reserve the diced carrots and set aside as we'll add them back at the end for some texture (see Jeff's Tips).
- Add the remaining 3/4 of the roasted carrots, all the remaining seasonings and oils they roasted in and the broth to the pot. Stir well. Secure the lid, hit Cancel and then hit Manual or Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes. Quick release when done.
- Take an immersion blender (or use a regular one, but an immersion blender is SO much easier for this so you don’t have to transfer the soup to a blender and then back into the pot) and blend everything in the pot together for about a minute until it’s puréed.
- Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, cream, Parmesan cheese, and return the reserved diced carrots. Stir until well combined into the soup.
- Ladle into bowls and top with some extra sprinkles of thyme, pepper, and Parmesan, if desired.
Jeffrey's Tips
I personally prefer the recipe as written as I like a slight bite (not crunch) to my carrot in the soup. If you prefer a very soft carrot, add all the carrots together to the pot in Step 6 and then reserve 1/4 of them and dice just before puréeing with the immersion blender in Step 7.
To the point of roasting carrots, you can totally roast them for as long as you like. I find 35-40 minutes works well, but if you have some extra time, going for 1 hour will really give them a nice roasted char with a soft and slightly syrupy texture.
Barbara
Hi Jeffrey,
I made you carrot soup last night. It was a great hit!
Thanks for a great recipe for a warm, inviting winter soup with lots of flavor!
Jeffrey
I’m so happy you gave it a shot and even happier you enjoyed it!
Kim
Made this soup tonight. My 3 year old Grandson Seth (very finicky vegetable eater) loved it!! “Yummy orange soup MeeMaw! Thank you so much!” Us adults loved it as well! Thank you Jeffrey for a wonderful recipe ❤️
Jeffrey
Makes me so happy!
Alaina
This soup is delicious! Of course, I had to add my secret ingredient of Montreal steak seasoning to the roasted carrots.