Description
This creamy carrot soup is a comforting, velvety blend of tender carrots, savory bacon, and aromatic herbs, perfect for a hearty lunch or light dinner. Cooked gently on the stovetop, the soup combines the natural sweetness of carrots with the richness of cream and milk, garnished with crispy bacon and fresh parsley or thyme, served alongside crusty bread for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 4 slices streaky bacon (~120g / 4oz)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 large carrots, cut into 1.5 cm (3/5 inch) chunks
- 1 litre / 1 quart vegetable or chicken broth (4 cups)
- 1/2 cup / 125 ml cream
- 3/4 cup / 185 ml milk (any fat percentage)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh thyme or chopped parsley, for garnish
- Cream, for swirling
- Crusty bread, to serve
Instructions
- Cook the bacon: Heat the olive oil or butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the streaky bacon slices and cook them until they are golden and crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot, let it cool slightly, then chop into small pieces.
- Sauté onion and garlic: Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the bacon drippings remaining in the pot. Cook for about 2 minutes until the onion becomes translucent but not browned. This releases their flavors as the base for the soup.
- Add carrots: Stir in the carrot chunks, coating them thoroughly in the oil and bacon drippings. This step ensures the carrots take on a deeper flavor as they cook.
- Simmer the soup: Pour in the vegetable or chicken broth and stir well. Cover the pot with a lid and adjust the heat to maintain an energetic simmer, approximately medium heat. Let the soup cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the carrots are very soft and tender.
- Puree the soup: Remove the lid and turn off the heat. Use an immersion (stick) blender directly in the pot to puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, allow the soup to cool slightly and blend in batches using a countertop blender.
- Finish with cream and seasoning: Stir in the cream, milk, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the soup’s thickness by adding more milk or water if desired to reach your preferred consistency.
- Serve: Ladle the creamy carrot soup into bowls. Garnish with swirls of cream, sprinkle the chopped bacon on top, and finish with fresh parsley or thyme for a burst of color and flavor. Serve hot with crusty bread on the side.
Notes
- You can use olive oil or butter for cooking the bacon and vegetables depending on your preference.
- If you want a vegetarian version, omit the bacon and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Adjust the thickness of the soup with extra milk or water according to your taste.
- For a richer flavor, use full-fat cream and milk.
- Leftover soup stores well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- The soup can be reheated gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally.
