The other day I got a bunch of beautiful carrots from the market, and I realised that it has been a while since the last time I shared a soup recipe with you. Therefore, I started thinking about what I could pair those lovely carrots with and came up with this fantastic carrot and coriander soup that I’m sure you’ve never tried before.
I added coriander and cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, red lentils and coconut water to make this a much more complete soup recipe than your average one.

I’m sure you already have most of these ingredients at home, which will make the preparation even easier. In case you are missing some, don’t miss the next section, where you can find some suitable substitution options that could help you skip a visit to the shop!

What will you need for this carrot and coriander soup recipe?

Olive oil: Definitely my favourite oil, but of course, not the only option you have. I don’t see butter in this scenario, but canola or coconut oil would be good alternatives.

Yellow onion & garlic: A base for this recipe that will give some additional sweetness, pungency and depth of flavour. Try to use fresh instead of dried ones; the resulting taste will be so much better.

Carrots: Did you know that carrots were yellow and purple before the orange variety was created and stole all the attention? I prefer the purple and orange ones, but the choice is all yours! The most important thing is that they are fresh and firm, but if you wish to use those older ones that have been sitting in your fridge for a while, go for it, this recipe will forgive it.

Red lentils: Tasty and convenient red lentils will help thicken this soup while adding some valuable protein, fibre and micronutrients. You can find them whole or split. Split red lentils will cook faster and help thicken soups or stews, while the whole ones need longer cooking and keep their shape better, which makes them better for salads. Instead of red lentils, you can also go with chickpeas.

Coriander & cumin: You can find coriander and cumin seeds or use their powdered form. The seeds will generally keep for longer, preserving more of their pleasant aromas compared to the powder. Conversely, powdered form is a more convenient option because it allows you to skip the process of toasting the seeds and later grinding them in the mortar. If you don’t like coriander or cumin, you can substitute them with curry powder or caraway seeds.

Ginger: While in sweet recipes, I prefer powdered ginger, when it comes to savoury ones, I like to use it fresh. Choose whichever option you prefer, but let me remind you that because ground ginger is more concentrated, you will need four times less amount than when using fresh ginger (1/4 tsp ground ginger equals 1 tsp fresh ginger root). From my experience, it is hard to substitute ginger because it has such a distinct flavour but good enough alternatives would be turmeric and allspice.

Coconut water: Coconut water is the liquid you will find inside young coconuts. Nutritionally speaking it is a very good ingredient, but always check the label because it can come with added sweeteners. You will very often find another product with a similar name, to be more exact, coconut milk. Now, this is a mix of coconut meat, water and most often salt, aromas and thickeners. In this case, the coconut meat of the mature coconut is cooked with water and then strained. It is a less nutritious option than the first one and definitely too expensive for what it is. In case you don’t have coconut water or milk, you will get very nice results with the addition of vegetable stock or simply using water.