Roasted carrot soup with ginger

Carrot soup can be sweet without needing added sugar. Roasting concentrates the flavour, while ginger gives the finished bowl a warmer edge. Cut the carrots into similar-sized pieces so they soften at roughly the same time. Very thick chunks can brown outside while remaining stubbornly firm in the centre.

Gather the ingredients

For four modest bowls, use 750 g carrots, peeled or scrubbed and cut into 2 cm pieces; one medium onion, chopped; one tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger; two tablespoons olive oil; and 800 ml vegetable stock, with a little extra available. You will also need black pepper, salt as needed and one to two teaspoons lemon juice. Allow about 55 minutes overall. Have a large saucepan, a roasting tray and a suitable blender ready.

Build the flavour in two places

Heat the oven to 200°C conventional or 180°C fan. Toss the carrots with one tablespoon of oil on a tray large enough to hold them in a single layer. Roast for about 30–35 minutes, turning once, until tender and lightly coloured at the edges. Check with a knife rather than relying only on the clock.

While the carrots roast, warm the remaining oil in the saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for around eight minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened without dark browning. Stir in the ginger for the final minute. If the onion catches, lower the heat and add a small splash of water rather than more and more oil.

Add the roasted carrots and stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for ten minutes, until the carrots are completely soft. Take the pan off the heat. Blend carefully with an immersion blender, keeping its head submerged. If using a jug blender, follow its hot-liquid instructions, work in small batches and never seal hot soup in a container not designed for it.

Finish by tasting the texture

Return the soup to gentle heat if necessary. Add extra stock or water a little at a time until it pours easily from a ladle. Stir in a teaspoon of lemon juice, taste, then add more only if needed. Season after thinning, since a concentrated stock can make the original mixture seem saltier than the finished soup.

Serve with bread or toast. For a more ginger-forward bowl, increase the ginger slightly on a future batch rather than stirring a large amount of raw ginger into this one. If the soup tastes too sharp, a little plain yoghurt can soften an individual serving, though it changes the recipe's dairy-free character.

Saving another meal

Cool leftover soup promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate in covered containers for up to 48 hours, or freeze individual portions once cooled. Label the date and use frozen portions within about two months for quality. Defrost in the fridge and reheat until steaming hot throughout, stirring to eliminate cold spots. Add a splash of water if the soup thickens, and only reheat the portion you intend to eat.