Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

If you’re using whole carrots, start by peeling them, cutting off the root end, and slicing them on a bias into roughly ½” thick rounds. This makes it easier for them to cook at the same time when they’re roughly all the same size. If using baby carrots, there’s no prep work involved.

Cut the yellow onion in half. Slice off the root-end of one half and cut into 4 large quarters. Place these and the 1 ½ pounds of carrots into a large mixing bowl. Pour in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and toss, then add ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper and toss again to fully coat them. Scatter them on the baking sheet. Dice the other half of the onion and set aside.

Thinly slice off the root-end of 3-5 cloves of garlic without peeling them and place them on the baking sheet as well. Set the baking sheet in the oven and roast the vegetables for 30-35 minutes, tossing them about half-way through cooking.

While the vegetables are roasting, place a stock pot or Dutch-oven on the stove over medium heat and add the rest of the extra virgin olive oil. Add the diced onion with a pinch of salt and pepper and sauté until almost translucent but not browned, about 5-8 minutes.

Take about 1-2 inches of ginger and peel it, then slice off a few rounds. Slice the rounds into small sticks, then dice into smaller pieces. Add the ginger, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon ground cumin to the onion and continue cooking for about a minute longer.

Slowly pour in 4 cups of vegetable broth while stirring, then add 2 cups water (or more broth). Season with a bit more salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until slightly reduced and fragrant.

Once the vegetables are done roasting, remove from the oven and let them rest and cool slightly, for about 5 minutes. Take the broth mixture off the heat as well, so it can cool a bit also.

Squeeze out the garlic and add the vegetables and broth mixture to a blender. You may have to do this in two batches depending on the size of your blender. Remove the plastic cap from the blender top and cover the hole with a towel. Blend at high speed for about 2-3 minutes, until fully pureed.

Pour the carrot soup back into the pot or Dutch-oven and bring to a simmer again. Turn off the heat and stir in ¾ cup coconut milk. Taste the soup and adjust for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed, and 1-2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice until you’re happy with the flavor.

Serve in bowls and optionally top with things like fresh black pepper, some coconut milk, croutons, chopped parsley or cilantro, etc. Alternatively, allow to cool completely and store overnight in the refrigerator and serve the next day. This soup has even more flavor after resting for a day.