Mary Berry Creamy Carrot and Orange Soup Recipe

Sweet carrots and zesty citrus elevate this Mary Berry creamy carrot and orange soup to a bright, sunshine-filled favorite you’ll always want at the heart of your winter lunch table. It’s delicious with crusty bread rolls, a swirl of extra crème fraîche, toasted pumpkin seeds, a crisp green salad; in fact most things.

Mary Berry Creamy Carrot and Orange Soup Recipe Ingredients

• 30 g (1 oz) butter
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 kg (2 lb) carrots, thickly sliced
• 1.5 litres (2 1/2 pints) vegetable stock
• Grated zest of 1/2 orange
• 300 ml (1/2 pint) orange juice (freshly squeezed or from a carton)
• 300 ml (1/2 pint) full-fat crème fraîche
• 3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

How To Make Mary Berry Creamy Carrot and Orange Soup Recipe

1. Soften the base: Begin by melting the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a gentle heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent. Be careful not to let the onion take on any “colour” or brown edges to ensure the soup remains a bright, clean orange.
2. Sweat the carrots: Toss the sliced carrots into the pan with the onions. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. This “sweating” process allows the carrots to release their natural sugars and intensifies their flavor before the liquid is added.
3. Simmer until tender: Pour in the vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Once bubbling, replace the lid, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes. You want the carrots to be completely soft and tender when pierced with a knife.
4. Purée for silkiness: Remove the pan from the heat. Use a food processor or a high-speed blender to purée the soup in batches until it is perfectly smooth and velvety. Return the puréed soup to the rinsed-out saucepan.
5. Brighten with citrus: Stir in the grated orange zest and the orange juice. The acidity of the orange provides a wonderful counterpoint to the sweetness of the carrots. Season the soup to taste with salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.
6. Add the cream and heat: Stir in the full-fat crème fraîche until fully incorporated and the soup looks rich and creamy. Gently reheat the soup over a low flame, being careful not to let it reach a vigorous boil, which could cause the dairy to split.
7. Garnish and serve: Stir half of the snipped chives directly into the pot. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish each serving with a final sprinkle of the remaining chives for a fresh, herbal finish.

Recipe Tips

• Sweating the vegetables: Don’t skip the 10-minute sweating stage for the carrots. Cooking them in butter under a lid before adding stock is the secret to a deep, restaurant-quality carrot flavor.
• Orange juice choice: While fresh-squeezed orange juice offers the brightest flavor, a high-quality “not from concentrate” carton juice works perfectly well for this recipe.
• Texture control: If the soup feels a bit too thick after puréeing, you can loosen it with a small splash of extra stock or water until it reaches your preferred consistency.
• Crème fraîche vs. cream: Crème fraîche is used here because its slight tanginess pairs beautifully with orange, but you could substitute it with double cream for a milder, even richer result.

What To Serve With Mary Berry Creamy Carrot and Orange Soup Recipe?

This Mary Berry Creamy Carrot and Orange Soup Recipe is a vibrant, silky meal that needs a fresh or savory pairing! A warm Crusty Baguette with salted butter is the classic choice for dipping into the thick, orange broth. For a lighter touch, a handful of Toasted Pumpkin Seeds added to the top provides a lovely nutty crunch that pairs perfectly with the smooth carrots! A side of Parsnip Crisps or a glass of Chilled Ginger Ale pairs wonderfully with the citrus and sweet vegetable notes.

How To Store Mary Berry Creamy Carrot and Orange Soup Recipe

• Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop over low heat. Stir frequently to ensure the crème fraîche remains perfectly emulsified into the soup.
• Freeze: It is not recommended to freeze this soup after the crème fraîche has been added, as the texture can become grainy upon thawing. If you wish to freeze it, do so before adding the dairy and citrus, then stir those in fresh after reheating.

Mary Berry Creamy Carrot and Orange Soup Recipe Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 210 kcal (per serving)
• Total Fat: 14 g
• Saturated Fat: 9 g
• Cholesterol: 25 mg
• Sodium: 520 mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 18 g
• Protein: 3 g
• Fiber: 4 g

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients used.

FAQs

Mary Berry Creamy Carrot and Orange Soup Recipe

Recipe by Emily HartwoodCourse: SoupsCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

50

minutes

Calories

210

kcal

A vibrant, velvety soup that combines the natural sweetness of carrots with a bright citrus lift and a rich crème fraîche finish.

Ingredients

• 1 kg carrots, sliced

• 1.5 L vegetable stock

• 300 ml orange juice & 1/2 orange zest

• 300 ml crème fraîche

• 1 onion & 30 g butter

• Chives, salt, and pepper

Directions

• Soften onion in butter; add carrots and sweat covered for 10 minutes.
• Add stock, boil, then simmer for 30-40 minutes until soft.
• Purée until smooth and return to the pan.
• Stir in orange juice, zest, and crème fraîche.
• Reheat gently without boiling.
• Garnish with snipped chives and serve.

Notes

• Sweating the carrots is the key to the deep flavor.
• Use fresh chives for the best visual and flavor contrast.
• This soup is high in Vitamin A and perfect for cold winter days.