Thai Curried Roasted Carrot and Ginger Soup

Thai Curried Roasted Carrot and Ginger Soup is a creamy, velvety soup with roasted carrot, ginger, spices and yes, you guessed it right - Thai Red Curry Paste. It takes just about an hour to get this soup on the table.

There is nothing cozier about fall and winter than a warm bowl of soup served alongside some bread. And, if you are thinking about making this soup ahead of time, then you are in for a real treat because this tastes even better on the next day. Also try my Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup

Ingredients You will need to Make Thai Curried Roasted Carrot and Ginger Soup:

• 2 Pound Carrot - Cut your carrots into rough chunks because we are anyway gonna make a puree of it.
• 1 Tablespoon Finely Grated Fresh Ginger - Ginger pairs really well with carrot, introduces an earthy tone to it.
• 2 Tablespoon of Thai Red Curry Paste - You can find this in the international aisle of almost all grocery stores. Look for this paste in the Asian or Indian Section.
• 4 Tablespoon of Extra-virgin Olive Oil - Make sure you are using a good quality olive oil. Trust, me it matters!
• 1 Medium Onion coarsely chopped - I suggest you go with whatever you get. Both red Onion and White Onion is suitable for this recipe.
• 3 cups of Vegetable Broth - Well, you can also use Low Sodium chicken Stock or just plain water in its place.
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Coriander - Ground coriander lends a beautiful aroma and a mellowed citrusy tone to the soup.
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin - We mostly use ground cumin for Mexican and Spanish recipes. But, while making this Asian recipe, we add a touch of ground cumin to bring a depth of flavor. Ground cumin has a nutty and earthy taste along with a mild citrusy tone.
• 3 minced garlic - When you chop garlic, always remember, that the more finely you chop the more flavors you will get. Though this is ginger-based soup garlic adds a nice background tone to this soup.
• 2 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds - Fennel Seeds are like my favorite ingredient to work with. I know many people dislike it (my granny cannot stand it) but I happen to LOVE it. It brings a little sweetish tone and a fresh nature to my soup.
• 2 Teaspoon Light Brown Sugar - There are so many flavors and that red curry is a little spicy. So just to balance it out I have added 2 teaspoons of light brown sugar.
• Salt as per taste 
• 2 Tablespoon Salted Butter - You can also use unsalted butter in this step. But, make sure you balance the saltiness later on.
• 1 Teaspoon Kaffir Lime Juice - Kaffir Lime juice is really fragrant and tastes so fresh. If you can't find this then replace it with lime juice or just use lemon juice instead.
• Freshly Grounded Black Pepper as per taste - A little peppery tone is all that you need to balance out the flavors.
• Ground Peanuts - Though this is totally optional I really like it. You can also toast the peanuts and then add it. Peanuts will add a nice nutty tone and texture to this hearty, creamy, and velvety soup.
• Chopped Cilantro - Just a dash of cilantro makes the soup look appetizing and also adds a lot of freshness to the soup.

What is Thai Red Curry Paste?

First, let's clear the confusion. Thai Red Curry Paste is not the same as Indian curry Powder. The latter is a powder which uses totally different sort of spices. Whereas Thai Red Curry Paste is sort of a paste.

Thai Red Curry Paste is made using Dried Red Chilies, Garlic, Shallots, Lemon Grass, Galangal, Shrimp Paste, Salt, Kaffir Lime, and Spices.

This paste tastes a little spicy and you simply cannot eat it raw. When you add it to your curry or soup the taste improves drastically.

Here, where I live, it costs about $8 for 2 Pound of the Thai Red Curry Paste. If you are asking me which brand I used then it's Thai Kitchen. Please note that I am not being paid to promote this brand. It's just my personal choice.

BUT, If you prefer a vegan/vegetarian Thai Red Curry paste then please don't use this one, because this has fish sauce in it. Rather look for some Vegan or Vegetarian Thai red curry paste.

Is Thai Red Curry Too Spicy & Hot?

Well, not exactly too spicy. But, it also depends on the brand of that red curry paste you are using. Every brand makes it differently. I have observed that the green Thai curry paste feels spicer than compared to the red one. But, still, my final word would be - Not too spicy and neither too hot. But, yes, just a little touch of spice to sort of awaken your tastebuds. I hope I am able to tell you how this tastes. This is the best I can explain.

What other Flavors can I Introduce in this Soup?

I always love introducing my readers to a variety of flavors. Keeping in mind that every one of us has a different taste. You can choose your pick from the ideas presented below or rather go with my style instead.

• Coconut - From my previous experiences of cooking for Thai red curry paste, I have seen that coconut (especially roasted coconut) works really well.
• Coconut Milk - If you are looking for a creamier texture and a smoother soup then I suggest you go with some coconut milk. It would bring a nice nuttiness to your soup.
• Low Sodium Chicken Stock - If you feel that Vegetable Stock is too basic, then go for chicken stock instead. But Make sure you use Low-Sodium Chicken Stock.
• Indian Curried Roasted Carrot Soup - Just a dash of Indian Curry powder will make this soup too damn good. Indian curry powder has a warm sort of taste and works really well with carrots. Though, If you are using Indian Curry Powder, I suggest you skip Thai Red Curry paste. 

How to make this Soup ahead of time?

This soup can be easily made ahead of time. And these tips will help you do that better.

• Cook the veggies just a little shy of total doneness. You are anyway going to heat it up later. So, just cook it until they have a slight crunch in them. In this, we are gonna cook the carrots. So, take them out just a few minutes before total doneness.
• If you are adding Thai Red Curry then keep in mind that it will stay fresh only for a day.
• Save the garnish for later. We need to garnish fresh. So, save your cilantro, cream, and peanuts for later.

Is there a Low Carb Version of this Soup? If Yes, then How?

• Carrot is a prime ingredient in this soup recipe. If you are thinking if the carrot is good for a low carb diet then my answer is - yes & no. While carrot is not ideal for a low carb diet. But, if you see it has 9 grams of net carbs per 122gm. If that sounds too much carb for you then you can switch over to this spinach Soup instead.
• Secondly - Light Brown Sugar. I have used 2 teaspoons of Light brown sugar in this recipe. 2 Teaspoons of Light brown sugar has got 12 calories. So, this is not ideal. So the best replacement for this sugar would be either Stevia or Erythritol.
• Third, I have used 2 Tablespoons of Salted Butter. Butter is low in carbs and high in fat. So this is ideal for a keto diet.

How to make this Soup Vegan-Friendly?

There are certain replacements that you can do to make this soup vegan-friendly.

• Use Vegan & Gluten-Free Thai Red Curry paste. You can easily purchase that online or offline.
• Replace butter with Vegan and Dairy Free Butter. Or you can just skip butter completely. It won't make much of a difference. My only idea of adding butter was to include a little creaminess in my soup. So, if you really want that then go with dairy-free butter.
• Replace Brown Sugar with Beet Sugar. Brown Sugar is not vegan. But, beet sugar is.

What goes well with this Soup?

Enjoy this Soup with these recipes.

• Keto Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks
• Cheese Rosemary Scones
• Pretzel bites
• Cheese Bombs
• No-Yeast Dinner Rolls

How to Store the Leftover Soup?

Before you store the soup, make sure it has cooled down completely and has reached room temperature. You cannot keep it for more than 2 hours at room temperature.

• Store this in an air-tight container and refrigerate it. It should be good for up to 2 days.
• You can also freeze this soup in a heavy-duty freezer-friendly bag. It will stay perfectly fine for up to 4 months.
• When you want to reheat it then keep it out for a while (about an hour or half) and then heat it through in the oven.

If you like this recipe, then please provide a rating for this recipe. Also, comment below. If you happen to make this recipe then tag me with #recipemagik on Instagram.

OTHER SOUPS YOU CAN TRY:

• Red Bean Tex Mex Soup
• Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Soup
• Traditional Brown Lentil Soup