Bright with colour, sweet with the goodness of carrots and full of aromatic flavour, Slow Cooker Carrot and Coriander soup is fantastically light and warming. It makes a wonderful lunch or lighter dinner option and takes only minutes to prepare.
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Easy Carrot and Coriander Soup in the Slow Cooker
Soups are usually cooked over the stove, simmering away until the vegetables soften and the flavours impart and mellow. Whilst soup doesnt usually require much tending to, it does take time and requires regular observation. That’s why I think using the slow cooker to make them is a great option. I add the ingredients, switch it on and walk away. Perfect if you are working from home and want a healthy, warming lunch.
I have to say that carrot and coriander soup is one of my favourites. It’s a beautifully simple recipe really but it has so much flavour and vibrancy.
The traditional recipe can be traced back to French origins where it is called Potage de Crécy. Potage style soups are traditionally served blended until smooth, and have a thick, velvety texture. I think this is important to emulate to create a really fantastic carrot soup.
In my version I enhance the flavour of the carrots with added spices, and create that silky, slightly dense texture by adding a small amount of potato to the mix.
Blend everything together once cooked and the result is a gorgeously satisfying soup which is easy to dress up with a swirl of chopped coriander leaves, or to serve simply with crusty bread.
Why You Should Make It
- A great way to use up any surplus carrots.
- Makes a healthy, quick lunch. Put it in the slow cooker at breakfast and it’s ready by lunch!
- A fabulous starter for a dinner party. Simply swirl with some cream and sprinkle with coriander leaves for an elegant look.
- Freezes well for up to three months.
- The raw ingredients can be prepped and stored in the freezer as a dump bag ready to cook anytime!
- Soups work really well in the slow cooker, another option is my sweet and flavoursome Slow Cooker Tomato Soup.
Equipment
- Slow cooker. I used my trusty 5L Crock-Pot Duraceramic.
- Hand held blender or jug blender.
Ingredients
Exact ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Carrots – the core ingredient! Fresh or slightly older carrots work just as well.
Potato – for texture.
Onion and Garlic – adds a savoury flavour base.
Stock – vegetable or chicken stock cubes work just as well.
Water – for the stock.
Spices – turmeric intensifies the orange of the carrots and adds an earthy tone, ground coriander for that deep fragrant flavour, and nutmeg to add warmth.
Butter – adds to the rich, velvety texture of the soup.
Salt and pepper – to season.
Fresh coriander – a few sprigs finely chopped add a fresh, citrusy note.
Creme Fraîche – to finish.
Method
Here’s how to make carrot and coriander soup in the slow cooker.
- Peel and chop the carrots, potato, onion and garlic. Add to the slow cooker.
- Sprinkle in the spices, butter, seasoning and add the stock cube. Pour in the water and cook on high for 4 hours 30 minutes, or low for 6 hours.
- Check the vegetables are cooked.
- Transfer to a jug blender and blend. Alternatively, this step can be done in the slow cooker with a hand blender.
- Add the creme fraîche and further blend until completely smooth.
- Add the freshly chopped coriander before serving, this keeps the flavour intense and zesty.
Serving Suggestions
I don’t do anything special here, I just serve this exactly as it’s made with bread and butter on the side! If I have a loaf of slow cooker bread ready, a slice of this works well for a light lunch.
If you are hosting guests and serving this as a starter, a drizzle of pouring cream on the top of the soup creates an elegant finish.
Recipe Variations
Seeds – add texture and extra nutrition. Sprinkle them on top before serving. Dried roasted pumpkin seeds are a great option.
Heat – add heat to the soup with a small amount of chilli. You can either mix in half a teaspoon of ground chilli with the spices before cooking, or sprinkle some dried chilli flakes on the top before serving.
Potato – I include a white potato in the recipe to add substance to the soup. If you prefer you can change this to a sweet potato.
How To Store Slow Cooker Carrot and Coriander Soup
Carrot and coriander soup will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for three days, or in a sealed bag or container in the freezer for up to three months.
Top Tips
Coriander
In this recipe I use a blend of ground coriander seeds and fresh coriander. Being from the same plant they both have the same undertone of flavour. However – there are differences!
Dried coriander brings an earthy, depth of flavour and can withstand long cooking periods, but to experience the fragrance and zest of fresh coriander, it’s best added raw. I sprinkle it on top just before serving.
Aesthetically, using only dried coriander in carrot and coriander soup means the orange vibrancy of the carrots is maintained. Blending fresh green leaves into the soup will dull the tone.
Blending
This soup is supposed to be ultra smooth so really go to town with the blending!
Vegetables
As with any root vegetable cooked in liquid, the size of the pieces they are chopped into matters. I slice the carrots into rounds of 1cm and dice the potato into 2cm cubes, and the stated cooking times are based on this. Larger chunks will increase the cooking time.
Vegan Carrot and Coriander Soup
It’s easy to make this recipe vegan! Simply:
- Use vegan stock
- Change the butter to a vegan butter alternative
- Switch the creme fraiche for a vegan cream alternative such as soya cream or plant based Elmlea.
FAQs
Yes, if you want to add extra heat and warmth through the soup you can add half a teaspoon of chilli powder before cooking.
Carrots are a great source of fibre and are full of vitamin A and beta-carotene. This aritcle from the BBC is great for summing up the health benefits of carrots.
Carrot and coriander soup can be made entirely vegan, simply opt for vegan stock and butter and then replace the creme fraiche with a vegan cream alternative such as soya creme or vegan Elmlea.
Slow Cooker Carrot and Coriander Soup
Equipment
- Hand Held Blender Or Jug Blender
- Jug Blender Or Hand Held Blender
Ingredients
- 700 g (1.5 lb) carrots
- 1 medium potato approx 100g
- 1 medium white onion approx 100g
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 1 stock cube vegetable or chicken
- 1.1 litre (2.3 pt) water
- 1 tbsp creme fraîche full or half fat
- 1½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp butter
- ¾ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper pinch of ground black pepper
Instructions
- Peel and chop the carrots into 1cm slices and peel and dice the potato in 2cm cubes (see recipe note 1). Peel and dice the onion. Put all the vegetables into the slow cooker with the clove of garlic.700 g carrots, 1 medium white onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 medium potato
- Add the spices, stock, butter, salt and pepper to the vegetables.1 stock cube, 1½ tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp turmeric, ¼ tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp butter, ¾ tsp salt
- Pour over the water (see recipe note 2) and cook for 4½ hours on high or 6 hours on low.1.1 litre water
- Once cooked, transfer everything to a jug blender and blitz until the ingredients are roughly combined. Alternatively use a hand held blender and blitz in the slow cooker.
- Add the creme fraîche (see recipe note 3) and blend until completely smooth.1 tbsp creme fraîche
- Finely chop the fresh coriander leaves and stalks and then sprinkle over the soup or stir them through before serving (see recipe note 4).
Notes
- The size that the vegetables are cut into will affect the cooking time, larger pieces will take longer to soften.
- This amount of water will make a medium thickness soup, simply add 50-100ml extra of water if a thinner soup is preferred.
- The creme fraîche can be substituted for double cream or natural yogurt.
- The fresh coriander is sprinkled on top or stirred through the soup in this recipe rather than blended through, as the green leaf would affect the vibrant orange colour of the soup. Also small pieces of fresh coriander give a fresh zesty taste which would not be as noticeable if it was blended.
Sheena
Wednesday 11th of January 2023
Such an easy recipe and the soup was delicious. It was the first time I had made soup in the slow cooker but it certainly won't be the last! Thanks!