Roasted Garlic Potato Soup

Velvety and creamy, my savory roasted garlic potato soup is filled with the flavor of sweet roasted garlic cloves. A slightly lightened up version with just a touch of half and half and kiss of sour cream added at the end, this roasted garlic potato soup recipe is rich with flavor and smooth texture, perfect for topping with homemade croutons!

Potato Soup Kissed with the Flavor of Roasted Garlic

Smooth, creamy, rich and velvety potato soup is one of my favorites to prepare when I'm craving something very simple-yet-satisfying which I can enjoy by the warming bowlful.

And the way that I love to prepare my potato soup is with the wonderfully sweet and earthy addition of roasted garlic—such a terrific flavor partner with potatoes!

My roasted garlic potato soup has only a handful of ingredients, and fairly quick and easy to whip up. You’ll need to allow just a little extra time for roasting that mouthwatering garlic, but let me tell you, it is so worth it!

The roasted garlic cloves are savory yet not overpowering, and this soup has a deliciously rich and velvety texture, perfect for topping with either good quality store-bought croutons, or my homemade croutons with lots of buttery, garlicky flavor for added crispy-crunchiness.

And the bonus?

This roasted garlic potato soup recipe is a little lighter on the calories and a touch healthier, because it doesn't rely heavily on dairy. There's just a little touch of half and half blended in at the end, with a small dollop of sour cream, which simply offers the potato soup just a little extra pop of richness and flavor.

This potato soup recipe is so very comforting and so cozy!

My Recipe for Roasted Garlic Potato Soup

Often times, potato soup recipes call for lots of milk or cream in their preparations, but this one is a little different...

While I do add a small amount of half and half and sour cream in at the end, I actually rely on the potatoes to create the velvety, thick and creamy texture in this soup.

I use russet potatoes for this recipe, as they are naturally more starchy than wax potatoes, and when simmered with the stock and the aromatics—the fresh garlic, roasted garlic cloves, onions and seasonings—they become wonderfully tender and easy to blend into a smooth and silky texture.

Here's a glance at my roasted garlic potato soup recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I prep and roast off my garlic heads.
2. Once roasted and slightly cool, I squeeze the cloves from their papers.
3. Next, I get my aromatics going in my soup pot, and add in the roasted garlic cloves, as well.
4. I then add in my seasonings and my potatoes, as well as my chicken stock, and simmer for a short time just until the potatoes are tender.
5. When ready, I use an immersion blender (love this kitchen tool!) to puree my roasted garlic potato soup until smooth and creamy, then add in that small amount of half and half and sour cream.
6. To serve, I ladle the soup up into bowls and top with my homemade croutons for added crunch.

Recipe

Roasted Garlic Potato Soup

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This rich, velvety roasted garlic potato soup is an extra savory take on classic potato soup, made with just a hint of dairy!

Category: Soup
Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 6

Nutrition Info: 369 calories per serving

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 5 minutes (includes time for roasting garlic)
Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 whole heads garlic, plus 2 cloves pressed through garlic press, divided use
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee
• 1 large white onion, diced
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
• 6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (roughly 2 ½ pounds)
• 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 cup half and half
• ¼ cup sour cream
• Chives, minced for garnish

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Preheat oven to 400°.
3. Cut the tops off of the three heads of garlic, drizzle with a touch of olive oil, plus a sprinkle of salt and black pepper, and wrap each head tightly in foil. Roast for 45 minutes, and once cool enough to handle, squeeze the roasted cloves from their papers and set aside.
4. Place a large pot over medium-high heat, and add in the butter and about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Once melted together, add in the onion, plus a pinch of salt and black pepper, the white pepper and the Herbes de Provence, and saute for about 3 to 4 minutes until translucent.
5. Next add in the two pressed garlic cloves, plus the reserved roasted garlic, and stir those in.
6. Add in the cubed potatoes and the chicken stock and stir to combine, and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer the soup for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
7. Turn off the heat, and use an immersion blender (or use a regular blender, but take care to work in batches as soup is very hot) to puree the soup completely, until smooth.
8. Then, add in the half and half plus the sour cream, and use the immersion blender once more to incorporate those. (The soup should be velvety and creamy.)
9. Check to see if any additional salt/pepper is needed, and serve the soup topped with some minced chives, and perhaps some buttery croutons.

Tips & Tidbits for my Roasted Garlic Potato Soup recipe:

• Russet potatoes for thick, velvety texture: Because we're looking to create some “body” in this soup, the russet potatoes are the best potatoes for this recipe. They've got more starch, so when blended, they thicken the soup really nicely and naturally. You could use red or yellow waxy potatoes, but the texture will not be quite as thick and creamy.
• Three whole heads of garlic for roasting: While three whole heads of garlic sounds like a lot (and it is), because we are roasting the garlic it is removing a lot of its pungency and strength. What you get when you roast garlic is a very mild and sweet version, with very little “bite” to it. So yes, three whole heads of garlic are needed here, and this really isn't too much as the flavor is really terrific with that amount once roasted.
• Add protein to make the soup more substantial, if desired: If you'd like to make this potato soup more hearty, you can add cooked chicken (rotisserie or leftovers are terrific here), or add shrimp, sausage, etc. Just make sure the meat is already cooked and add it in at the end.
• Tasty crunchy toppers for roasted garlic potato soup: I love a good buttery crouton with a kiss of garlic and parmesan, and my homemade croutons are savory and sure hit the spot! You can also top with fried leeks or fried shallots, or even store-bought croutons. Good and crusty toasted baguette slices are fantastic as well!

Craving more deliciously cozy soups? Check out my recipe for Loaded Baked Potato Soup, Potato Leek Soup, Pumpkin Soup with Buttery Sage Croutons, Asparagus Soup, Butternut Squash Soup, Carrot Ginger Soup, or my recipe for Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2015, and has been updated with even more love!