Description
This Creamy Carrot Soup with Bacon is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender carrots blended into a smooth, velvety soup enriched with cream and smoky streaky bacon. Perfect as a warming starter or a light meal, it’s garnished with fresh herbs and served with crusty bread for dipping.
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″ 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 %)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For Serving
- Fresh thyme or chopped parsley
- Cream, for swirling
- Crusty bread
Instructions
- Prepare the bacon: Heat the olive oil or butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the streaky bacon slices and cook until crispy and browned. Remove the bacon and place on paper towels to drain. Set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics: In the same pan with the bacon fat, add the chopped onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Cook the carrots: Add the chopped carrots to the pan and stir to coat with the onion and garlic mixture. Cook for 3-4 minutes to start softening the carrots.
- Add the broth and simmer: Pour in the vegetable or chicken broth, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the carrots are very tender.
- Purée the soup: Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until very smooth and creamy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer the soup in batches to a countertop blender and purée carefully.
- Add cream and milk: Stir in the cream and milk until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Warm the soup gently on the stove if necessary.
- Serve: Crumble the cooked bacon and sprinkle it over the soup. Garnish with fresh thyme or chopped parsley and a swirl of cream. Serve alongside crusty bread for dipping.
Notes
- For a richer soup, use butter instead of olive oil when frying the bacon and onions.
- You can substitute coconut milk for cream and milk for a dairy-free version, adjusting seasoning accordingly.
- To make this soup vegetarian, omit the bacon and use vegetable broth.
- Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
- Ensure the soup is blended thoroughly for a smooth, creamy texture.
Keywords: creamy carrot soup, bacon soup, easy carrot soup recipe, comforting soup, fall soup recipe, homemade carrot soup