There is something deeply grounding about a bowl of carrot chowder that feels like a warm hug after a long day. This dish is all about that rustic heartiness, taking humble carrots and giving them some serious character with deep, oven-baked char and caramelization. When you blend those roasted carrots with creamy butter beans, you get a thick, satisfying texture without a drop of heavy dairy.
We love how this chowder relies on savoury depth rather than just sweetness. The miso and Dijon work behind the scenes to create a rich, soulful base that feels like it's been simmering on the stove for hours. Topped with a fresh tarragon oil, it is the kind of meal you want to pull up a chair for, grab a big spoon, and just settle in with a friend.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Complex Flavour: Charring the carrots adds a natural smokiness that regular boiling just can't touch.
- Texture Play: Blending most of the beans creates a “cream” base without any heavy cream, while leaving some whole beans and corn adds a satisfying bite.
- The Finishing Touch: The lemon-tarragon oil cuts through the earthiness of the root vegetables with a sharp, herbal pop.
Ingredients
The Chowder
- Carrots
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Leek
- Garlic
- Smoked paprika
- Dried thyme
- White miso
- Dijon mustard
- Butter beans
- Corn kernels
- Vegetable stock
- Water
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice
- White wine vinegar
Lemon-Tarragon Oil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh tarragon
- Lemon zest
- Pinch of salt
For Garnish
- Microgreens
- Chili pepper flakes
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
Instructions
Roast the Carrots
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). On a large baking sheet, toss the carrot chunks with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and the black pepper.
Roast for 25 to 30 minutes. You want them deeply caramelized and fully tender, as this browning provides the foundational flavour for the soup.
Build the Base
In a 3.5 qt sautéuse or large pot over medium heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté the sliced leeks with a pinch of salt for 5 to 7 minutes until softened but not browned. Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, and thyme, cooking for just 30 seconds until fragrant.
In a small bowl, whisk the miso into ½ cup of the vegetable stock until smooth. Pour this mixture into the pot along with the Dijon mustard and stir well.
Simmer and Structure
Add the roasted carrots, 1 ½ cans of the butter beans (reserve the other half can for later), the remaining stock, and the water to the pot. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes.
Blend
Carefully use an immersion blender (or transfer to a standard blender in batches) to process the soup until mostly smooth.
If the soup is too thick, add hot water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to reach your desired consistency.
The Finish
Stir in the reserved ½ can of whole butter beans, the corn, lemon zest, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar. Simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes until the corn is tender. Taste and adjust salt only if necessary.
Lemon-Tarragon Oil
While the soup finishes, prepare the oil. Prep the tarragon by removing leaves from thick stems. Light tender stems are fine but avoid woody ones.
Add tarragon, olive oil, lemon zest and salt to a small blender or use an immersion blender in a narrow cup. Blend 20 to 30 seconds until fully smooth and bright green.
For a smooth, refined drizzle: strain through a fine sieve or for a rustic look: leave unstrained as we did. Let it rest for 5 minutes. This allows the lemon zest to infuse the oil. Before serving, stir or shake well, as natural separation may occur.
Serving Suggestions
Drizzle the Lemon-Tarragon Oil over each bowl and garnish with microgreens and crushed red pepper flakes.
Serve with a thick slice of toasted sourdough or a crusty garlic bread baguette to soak up every drop.
Tips and Substitutions
- Bean Swap: If you can’t find butter beans, cannellini beans or Great Northern beans work beautifully as a creamy substitute.
- Herb Variations: If tarragon isn’t your favourite, try fresh basil or chives for the finishing oil.
- Miso Tip: Always whisk miso into a small amount of liquid before adding it to the big pot to ensure there are no salty clumps in your chowder.
Other Chowder Recipes to try Next:
Cookware Used: This carrot chowder was made in collaboration with Hestan Culinary. We made the soup in our ProBond 3.5-quart Sauteuse and prepped using our Provisions Ovenbond Quarter Sheet pans. All opinions in this post are always my own.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Carrot Chowder with Butter Beans & Corn (Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
The Chowder
- 2 lbs carrots 900 g, peeled and cut into 1 ¼ inch (3 cm) chunks
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large leek white and light green parts only, thinly sliced and rinsed well
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoon white miso
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cans 14 oz / 398 ml each butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 5 ½ cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Lemon-Tarragon Oil
- ¼ cup fresh tarragon loosely packed leaves, stems removed
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Pinch of salt
For Garnish
- Microgreens
- crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
Roast the Carrots
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). On a large baking sheet, toss the carrot chunks with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes. You want them deeply caramelized and fully tender, as this browning provides the foundational flavour for the soup.
Build the Base
- In a 3.5 qt sautéuse or large pot over medium heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté the sliced leeks with a pinch of salt for 5 to 7 minutes until softened but not browned. Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, and thyme, cooking for just 30 seconds until fragrant.
- In a small bowl, whisk the miso into ½ cup of the vegetable stock until smooth. Pour this mixture into the pot along with the Dijon mustard and stir well.
Simmer and Structure
- Add the roasted carrots, 1 ½ cans of the butter beans (reserve the other half can for later), the remaining stock, and the water to the pot. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes.
Blend
- Carefully use an immersion blender (or transfer to a standard blender in batches) to process the soup until mostly smooth.
- If the soup is too thick, add hot water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to reach your desired consistency.
The Finish
- Stir in the reserved ½ can of whole butter beans, the corn, lemon zest, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar. Simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes until the corn is tender. Taste and adjust salt only if necessary..
Lemon-Tarragon Oil
- While the soup finishes, prepare the oil. Prep the tarragon by removing leaves from thick stems. Light tender stems are fine, but avoid woody ones.Add tarragon, olive oil, lemon zest and salt to a small blender or use an immersion blender in a narrow cup. Blend 20 to 30 seconds until fully smooth and bright green.For a smooth, refined drizzle: strain through a fine sieve or for a rustic look, leave unstrained as we did.Let it rest for 5 minutes. This allows the lemon zest to infuse the oil.Before serving, stir or shake well, as natural separation may occur.
Serving Suggestions
- Drizzle the Lemon-Tarragon Oil over each bowl and garnish with microgreens and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Serve with a thick slice of toasted sourdough or a crusty garlic bread baguette to soak up every drop.
💬Tried this recipe?
- We'd really appreciate a rating and quick review! It helps more home cooks find the recipe, and we love hearing what you think.
Video
Notes
Tips and Substitutions
- Bean Swap: If you can't find butter beans, cannellini beans or Great Northern beans work beautifully as a creamy substitute.
- Herb Variations: If tarragon isn't your favourite, try fresh basil or chives for the finishing oil.
- Miso Tip: Always whisk miso into a small amount of liquid before adding it to the big pot to ensure there are no salty clumps in your chowder.
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