Roasted Garlic and Herb Soup (Printer-friendly)

Velvety soup with roasted garlic, fresh herbs, and vegetables in a savory broth. Ready in just over an hour.

# 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 - 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - 1 teaspoon salt, adjusted to taste

→ Liquids

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

→ Garnish

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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. 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 advice:

01 -
  • The roasted garlic becomes so mellow and sweet that even garlic skeptics will find themselves asking for seconds.
  • It's elegant enough to serve at a dinner party but easy enough that you won't stress in the kitchen.
  • One pot, one blender, and you've got something restaurant-quality sitting on your stove.
02 -
  • Don't skip the roasting step thinking you can just use raw garlic—the whole character of this soup lives and dies with that caramelized sweetness.
  • Taste before you blend and adjust your seasoning lightly, because blending intensifies everything slightly and you don't want to end up oversalting.
03 -
  • Make this soup a day ahead and reheat it gently—the flavors actually deepen and marry together overnight, making it even better the second time around.
  • If you don't have an immersion blender, a regular blender works perfectly fine, but let the soup cool for a few minutes first and blend in smaller batches to avoid any hot liquid escaping.
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