Gordon Ramsay’s carrot soup is warming, spiced and thick enough to keep you full for hours, which is exactly why he put it in his Fit Food book. It’s built on grated carrots, red lentils and garam masala, and the whole pot costs less than £4.
The recipe is his Lentil, Carrot and Coriander Soup from Ultimate Fit Food, and the lentils are what make it different from every other carrot soup you’ve tried. They break down as they simmer and thicken the soup naturally, so there’s no need for cream or potato. Ramsay says soup is “like a secret weapon” for staying on track because it’s more filling than eating the same ingredients dry.
His big thing with this one is cooking out the garam masala properly before anything else goes in. He says don’t add the carrots until the spices have released their aroma and the room smells warm, because that 30 seconds of blooming in hot oil is where all the flavour comes from.
Gordon Ramsay’s Carrot Soup
Course: Soup, Main4
10
minutes35
minutes305
kcal45
minutesEasy
Gordon Ramsay’s Lentil, Carrot and Coriander Soup from Ultimate Fit Food. Grated carrots and red lentils with garam masala, ginger and fresh coriander. Thick, spiced and filling at just 305 calories a bowl. About £3.70 to make, serves 4.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
3cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
Bunch of fresh coriander, stalks finely chopped and leaves picked
1 tbsp garam masala
500g (1.1 lb) carrots, grated
175g (6 oz) red lentils
1.5L (6 cups) vegetable stock
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
Sea salt and black pepper
4 tbsp low-fat yoghurt, to serve
1 lemon, quartered, to serve
Directions
- Cook the aromatics: Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger along with the chopped coriander stalks. Sweat for 5 minutes until softened.
- Bloom the spice: Sprinkle in the garam masala and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. The kitchen should smell warm and toasty before you move on.
- Add the carrots: Tip in the grated carrots and stir well so they’re coated in the spiced oil.
- Simmer: Add the lentils and stock, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for about 35 minutes until everything is completely soft.
- Serve: Ladle into warm bowls and top with the coriander leaves, sliced chilli, a dollop of yoghurt and a wedge of lemon on the side.
FAQs
Why does Ramsay grate the carrots instead of chopping them?
Grated carrots dissolve into the soup as they cook, which gives it a naturally thick, smooth texture without needing a blender. If you chop them into chunks you’d need to blend at the end, and you’d lose that rustic, slightly textured feel that makes this soup feel homemade rather than processed.
Can I make this without lentils for a classic carrot and coriander soup?
You can, but you’ll need to add something else for body or it’ll be thin. A medium potato peeled and diced works well as a swap, and you’d blend the whole thing smooth at the end. Drop the garam masala too if you want it closer to the classic Heinz-style version, and use ground coriander instead.
How much does this soup cost to make?
About £3.70 for four bowls, which makes it one of the cheapest soups in this whole collection. Carrots are £0.35 for half a kilo, red lentils about £0.70 for what you need, and the fresh coriander, ginger, chilli and yoghurt fill in the rest. The garam masala jar is £1.10 from Tesco but you only use a tablespoon per batch so it lasts months.
It goes well before a chicken korma or as part of a spread with Thai green curry.
Does carrot soup freeze well?
Really well, and Ramsay designed this as a meal prep recipe so freezing is built into the idea. Leave the yoghurt and fresh coriander out, freeze the base in portions for up to three months. The lentils thicken it as it cools so add a splash of water when you reheat.
