Meatless Monday: Blender carrot-coconut soup in under 20 minutes

I never thought I’d be one of those people who owns a $500 blender, yet here I am. Four years or so ago, I was at our county fair, and among all the vendors, fried food and other typical fair attractions, where did I end up? At the Vitamix tent, watching in awe demos of juices and soup being made in a blender.

Forty-five minutes later, I walked away $500 poorer with the promise to myself that I’d put this purchase to good use. I have to say, I’ve kept that promise for the most part and am still in awe that I can make soup in it in literally minutes.

If you have a high-powered blender at home as well, this carrot-coconut soup can be on your table in less than 20 minutes. I chose to sauté the onions first for a little bit more depth of flavor, but if you want to cut the prep time even shorter, you can skip that step and just add the oil and onions to the blender directly — it’ll still be delicious. The pesto swirl brings a brightness that balances perfectly with the hearty carrots and creamy coconut milk of the soup, so don’t skip out on that. I know it’s another appliance to clean up, but when dinner takes only 18 minutes start to finish, you kind of can’t complain about that.

Blender carrot-coconut soup with cilantro pesto recipe

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 8 minutes | Total time: 18 minutes

Ingredients:

For the soup

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 6 cups carrots, unpeeled and chopped
• 3-1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 (15-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger root
• 1 dash red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the pesto

• 1 cup packed cilantro
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a small skillet over medium heat.
2. Place the coconut oil in the skillet, and once it has melted, add the onions. Sauté until they are starting to turn golden brown, and then transfer them to a high-speed blender.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the blender, and blend on high speed until smooth and starting to heat up, about 7 – 8 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the pesto by combining all the ingredients in a small food processor and processing until almost smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
5. Pour the soup into serving bowls, and swirl a spoonful of the pesto into the soup.

More soup recipes

3 creamy coconut milk soups
Chilled strawberry soup
Guacamole soup