One thing we can all be grateful for these days is the arrival of spring. And one of my personal favorite things about this time of year is the abundance of delicious spring vegetables. I always find myself craving bright and colorful meals like this immunity-boosting, creamy vegan carrot soup. It's a true celebration of the season!
Carrots are naturally sweet and packed with vitamins. They're excellent for the immune system, something we should all be considering this time of year.
This creamy plant-based carrot soup is certainly tasty, and thanks to parsnips, butternut squash and coconut milk, it's packed with a variety of nutrients.
This recipe is also fully kid-approved. The vegetables turn into silky smooth and sweet soup that makes an easy lunch or healthy light dinner.
What are the Health Benefits of Carrots?
Carrots are a fantastic source of vitamin A. You've probably heard that eating more carrots will improve your eyesight. However, carrots' health benefits go way beyond eye health.
Carrots are a proven source of fiber, along with these other vital vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin A, essential for growth and immune function as well as good vision
- B Vitamins, such as biotin and vitamin B6 help promote strong nails and hair, as well as boosting energy
- Potassium supports the nervous system, boosts metabolism and balances water intake
- Vitamin K1 promotes bone health
This immune-boosting vegan carrot soup is also filled with nutrients from other vegetables. Creamy parsnips and tender butternut squash pack their own nutritional punch. Not only is this soup full of diverse colors, flavors and vegetables, it's also incredibly easy to make.
How to Make Immunity-Boosting Vegan Creamy Carrot Soup
You'll be surprised by just how simple this recipe is. You get all the immune-boosting benefits with very little hard work. How great is that?
To start, gather all your ingredients.
First, wash and chop all the veggies. I like to clean carrots with a veggie scrub brush, and you can peel them if you like. For the butternut, pre-cut squash will simplify the recipe. However, if you buy a whole squash, it's pretty easy to break down. First, peel the squash, then slice it in half and scoop out all of the seeds before cutting it into neat cubes.
Next, place all of your prepped vegetables into a large soup pot while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
Starting with the scallions, thinly slice the whites. You can save the green tops for garnish.
Add your scallions to the pot with the butternut, carrots and parsnips. Then add coconut milk and vegetable broth to start cooking.
Bring the soup pot to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer until all of the vegetables are very fork-tender. This makes the soup easy to blend and easy to digest. It also makes the soup taste sweeter without any added sugar!
After you’ve cooked the vegetables thoroughly, use a stick blender (aka an immersion blender) to purée. Or carefully transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to let the cool slightly before blending to avoid an explosion, and be sure not to overfill the blender. There you have it: the most nutritious vegan creamy carrot soup for immunity.
To serve your creamy vegan soup, divide it between soup bowls and top them off with thinly sliced scallion greens.
There you have it! The perfect immune-boosting creamy carrot soup that makes a wonderful lunch or dinner.
More Immunity-Boosting Plant-Based Recipes
PrintCreamy Carrot Soup for Immunity
- Yield: Makes 6 Servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
- 5 carrots, scrubbed really well and/or peeled
- 1 bunch scallions
- 20 ounces chopped butternut squash (or 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut up)
- 13.66 ounce can coconut milk
- Vegetable broth to cover the vegetables, or about 5 cups
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Equipment: Immersion blender or regular blender
Instructions
- Place the squash in a soup pot. Chop the parsnips, then the carrots and add both of them to the pot. (Remove any bad spots.) Remove the white bottoms from the scallions. Chop them up and add to the pot. Reserve the green part for garnish. Add the coconut milk to the pot. Then add the vegetable broth, making sure it covers the vegetables. Use more or less to just cover them.
- Place the pot over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer on low, covered, for 25 minutes or until all vegetables are fork-tender.
- Chop the green part of the scallions to use for a soup garnish.
- Add about 1 teaspoon of sea salt to the soup. Blend the cooked soup by using the immersion blender to blend right in the pot. OR, carefully transfer the cooked soup to a blender and carefully blend until smooth.
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