Roasted Garlic and Herb Soup (Printable Version)

Velvety roasted garlic blended with fresh herbs in a savory broth

# 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
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

→ 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice the tops off the 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 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 Tips:

01 -
  • The roasted garlic becomes almost creamy and mild, nothing like the pungent raw kind—it's the secret that makes this soup taste like it took hours to perfect.
  • It comes together in just over an hour and actually tastes better the next day, making it ideal for meal prep or impressing someone without fussing.
  • You can make it vegan by skipping the butter, add cream if you're feeling indulgent, or keep it simple and honest.
02 -
  • Don't skip the roasting step thinking you can use raw garlic—the entire magic of this soup lives in how roasting transforms garlic from sharp and pungent into sweet and mellow.
  • If your soup seems too thick after blending, warm some additional broth and add it slowly while stirring rather than adding cold liquid, which will cool everything down.
03 -
  • If your oven runs hot or cool, check the roasted garlic at the 30-minute mark—you want it golden and soft, not browned or dried out, because that changes the flavor from sweet to slightly bitter.
  • The secret to a silky texture is not over-blending—stop while there's still a slight texture rather than chasing absolute smoothness, which can make the soup feel gluey.
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