Dairy-free carrot and ginger soup

This smooth carrot and ginger soup is dairy-free and made without onion or garlic. Roasting the vegetables builds flavour before they are blended with an onion- and garlic-free stock and unsweetened rice milk.

Serves: 4   Preparation: 15 minutes   Cooking: 40 minutes   Total: approximately 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 850 g carrots, peeled and cut into 2 cm pieces
• 150 g parsnip, peeled and cut into 2 cm pieces
• 25 g fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 30 mL extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 g ground cumin
• 750 mL onion- and garlic-free, reduced-salt vegetable stock
• 200 mL unsweetened rice milk
• 15 mL lemon juice
• 3 g fine salt, or to taste
• 1 g freshly ground black pepper
• 10 g fresh chives, finely sliced, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C conventional or 180°C fan-forced. Line a large roasting tray with baking paper.
2. Place the carrot, parsnip and ginger on the tray. Add 25 mL of the olive oil and the cumin, then toss until evenly coated. Spread the vegetables in a single layer.
3. Roast for 25–30 minutes, turning once, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned at the edges.
4. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large saucepan. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 8–10 minutes.
5. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Blend with a stick blender until smooth, taking care with the hot liquid. Stir in the rice milk and lemon juice.
6. Return the soup to low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until hot. Do not allow it to boil vigorously. Season with the salt and pepper.
7. Divide among four bowls. Top with the remaining 5 mL olive oil and the chives, then serve.

Intolerance considerations

• Dairy: the recipe is dairy-free as written. Check the rice milk and stock labels if dairy avoidance is required. Dairy-free does not mean suitable for every allergy.
• Onion and garlic: neither is added, but many commercial stocks contain onion or garlic. Choose a product that suits your needs and check the label each time you buy it.
• Wheat and gluten: no wheat-containing ingredient is intentionally added. For coeliac disease or wheat allergy, verify the stock, rice milk and spices and prevent cross-contact.
• FODMAPs: this recipe has not been laboratory tested or certified low FODMAP. Serving size, ingredient formulation and individual tolerance matter.
• Histamine: the recipe is not labelled low histamine. Histamine tolerance and food freshness are individual, so follow advice from your healthcare professional if this is relevant to you.

Practical substitutions

Replace the parsnip with the same weight of extra carrot for a simpler flavour. If dairy is suitable for you, lactose-free milk can replace the rice milk in the same quantity. Flat-leaf parsley can replace the chives.

For a thinner soup, add 50–100 mL extra stock after blending. For a thicker soup, begin with 650 mL stock and add more gradually until the texture suits you.

Storage

Cool leftovers quickly in shallow containers and refrigerate at or below 5°C within 2 hours. Use within 3 days. Reheat only the portion you need until steaming hot, stirring so the temperature is even.

More everyday ideas

Browse the full Intoleran Australia recipe collection, learn how to build a more useful food and symptom diary, or read why the whole meal can matter. Individual needs vary; an Accredited Practising Dietitian can help when several food restrictions overlap.

For Australian food-safety guidance, see Food Standards Australia New Zealand.