Roasted Carrot and Harissa Soup

Name: Roasted Carrot and Harissa Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 bunch of carrots with tops; 2 white onions; 3 garlic cloves; olive oil; 1 tbsp rose harissa; 500ml vegetable stock; 100ml double cream; 1 bunch of carrot tops; 35g toasted flaked almonds; 25g parmesan; 75ml olive oil (approx); juice of 1/2 lemon; 1 garlic clove; pinch of salt; 2-4 slices sourdough; olive oil; parmesan

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There are carrot soup recipes, and then there is this Roasted Carrot and Harissa Soup recipe with homemade Parmesan Croutons and a waste-beating Carrot Top Pesto. Beautiful in the bowl and with a vibrant, autumnal flavour you can make as many or as few of the toppings as you wish to suit your tastes -- and how much time you have!

Bowl of carrot soup swirled with cream, harissa, and topped with pesto and croutons.

Why make a plain old bowl of carrot soup when you can make a roasted carrot soup with a hit of rose harissa, layering on the flavour as it roasts in the oven?

You could stop there, but as you've got a bit of time while the veggies get nice, soft and caramelised we're also showing you how to cut down on kitchen waste by making a vibrant carrot top pesto to spoon on top, and how to turn the end of your sourdough loaf into tasty, crunchy croutons.

Let's get cooking!

Why you will love this healthy carrot soup recipe:

It looks absolutely beautiful in the bowl -- special and fancy enough for guests, but easy enough for everyday family meals.
Making carrot top pesto from the leafy greens on your carrots and croutons from leftover sourdough will help cut down on waste.
You can add different layers of flavour or make this carrot soup more or less spicy depending on the flavour or brand of harissa you use.

Ingredients:

Carrots with tops - it's important to get them with the carrot tops if you want to make the carrot top pesto recipe to swirl on top of the soup!

White or brown onions

Garlic cloves

Olive oil - something mild and light is great here for roasting.

Rose harissa - Belazu make a beautiful one, and if you want to add a little smokey depth their roast chilli harissa is amazing too!

Vegetable stock - or chicken, if you don't need this carrot soup recipe to be vegetarian.

Double cream - or coconut milk if you want to go dairy-free.

Toasted flaked almonds - pine nuts would also work well here for the carrot top pesto.

Parmesan - or a vegetarian or vegan hard cheese if that's important to you.

Lemon juice - use fresh instead of bottled for the best flavour!

Salt - fine sea salt is great for seasoning here.

Sourdough - or any other hearty slightly stale bread to make the croutons.

Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!

Grey bowls of roasted carrot and harissa soup topped with croutons and carrot top pesto.

Directions:

Here's a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe below for detailed instructions.

Roasting tray of chopped carrots, onions and garlic.

ONE: Pre heat oven to 200C. Cut the tops off the carrots and set aside. Peel the carrots and slice into chunks. Rough chop the onion and add to a baking tray with the carrots and whole garlic cloves.

Roasted carrots, onions and garlic cloves on a roasting tray.

TWO: Drizzle generously with olive oil, season well and roast for 45 minutes turning half way.

Roasted vegetables tossed with harissa on a roasting tray.

THREE: Stir through the harissa for the last 5 minutes.

FOUR: Squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins then add the veg to a blender along with the veg stock and cream and blend until smooth.

Bread cubes tossed with grated cheese, olive oil and seasonings in a metal bowl.

FIVE: For the croutons, cut into chunks and toss in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, a grating of parmesan and some salt. Toast in a dry pan until crisp and golden.

Ingredients to make carrot top pesto on a grey countertop.

SIX: For the pesto either blitz everything together in a blender.

Carrot top pesto being made in a dark grey mortar and pestle.

OR: For a chunkier pesto, finely dice the carrot tops, finely grate the parmesan, mince the garlic and grind in a pestle and mortar along with the almonds, lemon juice and olive oil.

Close up of a bowl of roasted carrot soup topped with cream, harissa, croutons and pesto.

SEVEN: Serve the soup topped with a swirl of cream, a little harissa oil, some of the pesto and the croutons.

Cooking Tips:

Line the roasting tray with baking parchment to cut down on washing up - if you use foil, the vegetables will stick leaving flavour behind!

Get ahead - as this spicy soup is fancy enough to serve to guests, you can make all of the elements up to a day in advance, warming the soup through and assembling the bowls just before serving. Storing the pesto in the fridge, cover the top of it with layer of olive oil to stop it discolouring and be sure to store the croutons in an air tight container once completely cool to keep them crisp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this carrot soup in the Instant Pot or a soup maker?

On this occasion as so much of the flavour comes from roasting the vegetables and harissa I would make this soup the traditional way!

Does this roasted carrot soup recipe freeze well?

Yes! Without the toppings portions will freeze well for up to 3 months. You can also freeze portions of the carrot top pesto in an ice cube tray so you can be sure not to waste the leafy greens.

Grey bowls of carrot soup topped with homemade pesto and croutons.

Other recipes you might enjoy:

If you're looking for another silky smooth soup recipe that still has a lot of oomph from delicious toppings our Simple Roasted Fresh Tomato Soup with Rice, Easy Roasted Butternut Squash and Chilli Soup, or our Pea and Lettuce Soup with Fresh Herbs are sure to hit the spot! Or, if you're looking for something heartier, why not try our Easy Kare Udon Soup or our Simple Clear Thai Chicken Soup recipe?

Made this recipe and loved it?

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