Roasted Garlic Soup (Printable)

A comforting, velvety soup featuring mellow roasted garlic perfect for chilly days and immune support.

# What You'll Need:

→ Roasted Garlic

01 - 4 large heads of garlic
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Soup Base

03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
06 - 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
07 - 1 cup whole milk or unsweetened plant-based milk
08 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
09 - 1 bay leaf
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 - Croutons or toasted bread, optional

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice the tops off garlic heads to expose cloves. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 35-40 minutes until soft and golden. Cool slightly, then squeeze roasted garlic out of skins.
02 - In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
03 - Add diced potato, roasted garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
04 - Remove bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth, or transfer to a blender in batches.
05 - Return soup to pot. Stir in milk and heat gently until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley and optional croutons or toasted bread.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The roasted garlic becomes sweet and mellow, nothing like raw garlic, so even skeptics will ask for seconds.
  • It's impossibly smooth and velvety without any cream-heavy feel, leaving you satisfied rather than sluggish.
  • You can make the roasted garlic ahead and keep it in the fridge, turning weeknight dinner into a 20-minute affair.
02 -
  • Don't skip the roasting step thinking you can just use raw garlic or jarred roasted garlic—the transformation in the oven is where the entire character of this soup lives.
  • If your soup breaks or looks grainy after adding the milk, you likely heated it too fast; next time, warm the milk separately and stir it in gently off the heat.
03 -
  • If you're nervous about blending hot soup, let it cool for a few minutes first, or blend it in smaller batches—the risk of splashing hot liquid is real and not worth the five minutes you save.
  • The potato is doing the heavy lifting for creaminess, so don't skip it thinking you'll just use more milk; the starch is what makes this soup feel luxurious without being heavy.
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