Roasted Garlic and Herb Soup (Printable version)

Velvety soup with deeply roasted garlic and fresh herbs, blended into a savory aromatic broth for cozy dining.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 3 whole heads garlic
02 - 1 large yellow onion, chopped
03 - 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
04 - 2 stalks celery, chopped
05 - 1 medium carrot, chopped

→ Herbs & Seasonings

06 - 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
08 - 1 bay leaf
09 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste

→ Liquids

12 - 6 cups vegetable broth
13 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped
16 - Crusty bread for serving, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the tops off garlic heads, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes until soft and golden.
02 - In a large pot, heat remaining olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot; sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until softened.
03 - Squeeze roasted garlic cloves from their skins and add to the pot along with potatoes, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
05 - Remove bay leaf. Purée the soup using an immersion blender or in batches in a countertop blender until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh chives or parsley, and serve hot with crusty bread.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The roasted garlic becomes impossibly mild and buttery—nothing sharp or harsh, just pure savory sweetness.
  • You'll finish it in about an hour, yet it tastes like you've been simmering something all day.
  • One pot, one blender, and you've got something elegant enough to serve guests but cozy enough for just yourself.
02 -
  • If you under-roast the garlic, it'll taste raw and sharp; if you over-roast it, it becomes almost bitter—aim for golden and soft, not brown.
  • Don't skip squeezing the garlic cloves out of their skins; leaving the skins in will make the texture grainy and unpleasant.
03 -
  • Buy garlic bulbs that feel heavy and firm, with unbroken papery skin—these roast better and yield more cloves than dried out bulbs.
  • An immersion blender gives you the best control over texture; you can blend it to different levels of smoothness depending on your preference.
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