Carrot Soup Recipe:
Creamy Carrot-Parsnip Soup

Here's a carrot soup recipe that you can make in the crockpot or on the stovetop. It's creamy, delicious, and very easy to make. My whole family enjoys this tasty cream of carrot soup.

The parsnips add a touch of sweetness, and the rice adds just the right amount of texture.

This soup is even tastier the next day!



Check that you have these staples at home

  • in the cupboard

    • rice
    • canned vegetable broth
    • canned evaporated milk
    • pepper

Buy these fresh ingredients

  • carrots
  • parsnips

Get out your equipment

  • Essential

    • a crockpot (if not, see directions below)
    • a vegetable peeler
    • a cutting board and sharp knife
    • a can opener
    • measuring cups and spoons

  • Nice to have but not necessary

    • a handheld immersion blender (if not, see below)




    The recipe

    1 1/2 pounds/750 g carrots (about 6 smallish carrots)

    1 1/2 pounds/750 g parsnips (about 6 small parsnips)

    3 Tbsp/45 mL white rice

    3 cups/750 mL vegetable broth

    1 1/2 cups/375 mL water

    1 can (14 oz/370 mL) evaporated skim milk

    1/4 tsp/1 mL pepper

    Peel the carrots and parsnips.
    Cut them into 1 inch rounds.

    Place the carrots, parsnips, rice, broth and water into your crockpot.
    Cover and cook until the vegetables are very tender (at least 5 hours on LOW or 3 hours on HIGH).

    Using an immersion blender, purée the vegetables.

    Add the evaporated milk and the pepper.
    Stir to mix.

    Cover and reheat for just a few minutes on HIGH.



    Substitutions

    • Use chicken or turkey broth in place of the vegetable broth.

    Ideas for making this carrot soup recipe your own

    • Use your favourite rice - or try substituting another grain. (Hmmm … i wonder if quinoa would work in this recipe.)

    • Use your own homemade vegetable broth or chicken broth.

    • Top each bowl of soup with a dollop of plain yogurt, or some ground walnuts, or some minced parsley, or whatever else you can think of!

    Tips

    • You can scrub the carrots thoroughly instead of peeling them. (You will need to peel the parsnips, though. They begin to discolour when peeled, so work quickly and get them into the liquid right away.)

    • Look for small, slender parsnips. If you can find only oversized parsnips, take out the core. It can be bitter-tasting.

    • Be careful when puréeing the soup. It's hot! Stand back!

    • If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer the soup to a regular glass blender jar and purée. You may have to do this in small batches.

    • If you don't have a blender, use a potato masher to thoroughly mash the vegetables. Your soup will be chunky rather than creamy, but it will still be delicious.

    • To make this in a saucepan on the stove instead of in a crockpot, follow the directions as written, simmering the soup on the stove for a couple of hours until the vegetables are very tender.




    Menu suggestion

    Serve this dish with

    • crusty bread

    • a plate of cucumber and tomato slices




    If you enjoy this carrot soup recipe, you may also like these other homemade soup recipes: