This carrot and coriander soup is the one I make when the fridge looks a bit sad and everyone's tired of pasta. Just seven ingredients, one pan, and about twenty minutes of actual effort before it looks after itself on the hob. It's a proper British classic for a reason: earthy, sweet carrots against fresh, slightly citrusy coriander, blitzed smooth and finished with a swirl of cream if you're feeling fancy. I've made it more times than I can count over the years, and it's never once let me down.
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Recipe Highlights
TASTE: Sweet, earthy carrots balanced by fresh, aromatic coriander - comforting without being heavy.
TEXTURE: Silky-smooth once blended, with just enough body to feel like a proper meal, not a starter.
WHY IT WORKS: Seven ingredients, one pan, and a mostly hands-off simmer while you get on with something else.
GOOD TO KNOW: Freezes brilliantly, so it's worth doubling the batch while you're at it.
Ingredient Notes
Carrots are the backbone here - regular maincrop carrots work better than baby carrots, which tend to be more watery and less sweet. Got extra? Try swapping half in for sweet potato in our Creamy Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup With Coconut Milk.
Ground coriander and fresh coriander are doing different jobs. The ground spice builds an earthy base flavour as it cooks, while the fresh coriander goes in right at the end for brightness. Use the stalks in the soup itself and save the leaves for garnish - the stalks carry just as much flavour and there's no reason to bin them.
Onion - brown, white or red all work fine here, whatever you've got in.
Garlic - fresh is best, but garlic powder is a fair stand-in if that's all you have.
Vegetable stock keeps this vegetarian; swap in chicken stock if you're not catering for veggies. With only seven ingredients in this soup, a good stock is doing a lot of the work, so use the best one you've got.
Find the full ingredient quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
Step-By-Step Method
1. Peel and roughly chop the onion, garlic and carrots, keeping the carrot pieces a similar size so they cook evenly.
2. Chop the fresh coriander, setting the nicest leaves aside for garnish.
3. Soften the onion in a splash of olive oil for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and ground coriander and stir for no more than a minute - ground coriander burns fast and turns bitter if it sits in a hot pan too long.
4. Tip in the carrots, stir to coat them in the spices, then pour in the stock and bring to the boil.
5. Turn the heat down and simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes until the carrots are properly fork-tender, not just soft on the outside.
6. Stir in the coriander stalks and most of the leaves, then blend until smooth with an immersion blender, or in batches in a stand blender.
If you're using a stand blender, don't fill it more than halfway, and leave the lid slightly ajar with a folded tea towel over the top - hot liquid expands fast, and a fully sealed lid will send soup up the walls.
7. Taste, season with salt and pepper, and serve straight away with the reserved coriander scattered over the top.
Tips For Best Results
🔪 Cut the carrots evenly. Uneven chunks mean some pieces turn to mush before the others are even cooked through.
🌿 Don't skip the stalks. Coriander stalks carry more flavour than the leaves, and they'd only go in the bin otherwise.
🥣 Blend in batches if your jug is small. An overfull blender full of hot soup is how kitchens get repainted.
🧂 Season at the end, not the start. Stock varies a lot in saltiness, so taste before you reach for more.
❄️ Make a double batch. It barely takes more effort, and it freezes beautifully, so future-you gets a free dinner.
Variations
Swap in sweet potato for half the carrots for a rounder, sweeter soup - see our Creamy Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup With Coconut Milk. For something with more warmth, our Carrot and Ginger Soup With Coconut Milk leans on fresh ginger and coconut milk instead of coriander.
Fancy a bit more spice? Try our Curried Carrot and Parsnip Soup or Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup. And if you want to dress this one up for guests, a scattering of Homemade Dukkah, a few chilli flakes, or a swirl of cream all work well.
What To Serve Carrot and Coriander Soup With?
As with most soups, this carrot coriander soup is great served with some crusty bread. If you are a keen baker, try some fresh bread, like Sourdough Focaccia, Pumpkin Fougasse (or Pumpkin Sourdough Bread) or Cheese Scones. Alternatively, serve it with garlic bread or simply with some buttered toast.
Carrot and Coriander Soup also makes a lovely starter, or a side dish to go with a Coronation Chicken Sandwich (or Coronation Chickpea Sandwich) or a lovely Panini!
Storage and Reheating
Let the soup cool completely before storing it - soup that goes into the fridge or freezer while still warm raises the temperature inside and can affect food safety. Once cool, keep it in an airtight container with a well-fitting lid in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months - individual portions freeze and reheat especially well.
Thaw frozen soup in the fridge overnight, then reheat gently on the hob or in the microwave until piping hot, stirring occasionally. If it's thickened up in the fridge or freezer, loosen it with a splash of water or extra stock as it reheats.
Recipe FAQs
Blend in a cooked potato or some rice, or stir through a small amount of cornflour mixed with cold water and simmer until it thickens.
Ground cumin or your favourite curry powder work well in place of ground coriander, and parsley is a good swap for the fresh coriander if you're not keen on its flavour.
Usually too much stock, or not enough seasoning. Simmer it uncovered for a little longer to reduce it, and taste before adding salt at the end rather than the start.
Other Delicious Soup Recipes
Cooking for more healthy recipes? Love serving warming vegetable soups for lunch? Try our Green Pea and Feta Soup next time! Here are some more of our favourite soup recipes for you to try:
Easy Carrot And Coriander Soup
Equipment
- Liquidiser or Stick Blender
Ingredients
- 1 tsbp olive oil
- 2 brown onions roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 600 g (1.33 lb) carrots peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 litre (4¼ cup) vegetable stock
- 10 g (⅔ cup) fresh coriander roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until softened.
- Add the garlic and ground coriander and stir for 30-60 seconds, until fragrant.
- Tip in the carrots and stir to coat them in the spices.
- Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the carrots are fork-tender (timing depends on the size of your carrot chunks).
- Stir in the chopped coriander stalks and most of the leaves, reserving some for garnish.
- Blend until smooth using an immersion blender, or in batches in a stand blender. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
- Ladle into bowls, garnish with the reserved coriander, and serve immediately with crusty bread.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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