This Potato Garlic Soup is made with roasted garlic and potatoes which make it extra creamy without any dairy. You can serve it on its own for lunch or light dinner or as a starter. The soup is freezer-friendly and so easy to make!
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Why This Recipe Works
Comfort food - Soups are perfect for fall and winter when the temperatures get low and we need something hearty, warm, and comforting. This delicious soup is creamy, filling, and flavorful. It's a lightened up version of the classic potato soup. It has no cream and no bacon but it's made with lots of caramelized roasted garlic. Any garlic lover is sure to enjoy it!
Easy and simple - The soup calls for simple ingredients that should be easy to find in most grocery stores. The garlic takes a while to cook but it requires minimal effort and barely any hands-on time so you can prep everything else and cook the soup while it's roasting in the oven.
Flavorful and garlicky - Roasted garlic gives the soup lots of flavor but it's much milder than fresh garlic is so you can add much more of it than you would otherwise. It's roasted with olive oil which helps the garlic to caramelize and create a more complex, deep flavor. If you've never had roasted garlic, I highly recommend it! Make a double batch and use the leftovers in this Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup!
Freezer-friendly - This soup freezes very well so it's great for meal prep. You can make a double batch and freeze it in single-serving portions to always have soup on hand for busy weekdays. I like using soup freezer cubes for easy storage and portion control.
Ingredients
- Potatoes - Any kind of yellow potatoes works great here. My favorites are Russet or Yukon potatoes.
- Garlic - You'll need 1-2 heads of garlic. It may sound like too much garlic but roasting it mellows out the flavor so two bulbs is the perfect amount to really taste it in the soup, trust me!
- Vegetables - Celery, carrots, leek, and yellow onion add a ton of flavor to the soup. If you don't have leek, you can add more yellow onion.
- Vegetable broth - You can use chicken broth or beef broth if you prefer. I opted for veggie broth to keep the soup vegan.
- Spices - The soup is seasoned simply with just sea salt, black pepper, bay leaf, and a sprinkle of fresh thyme.
Variations and Substitutions
- Cream - If you want to make the soup extra creamy, you can stir in some heavy cream, sour cream, creme fraiche, or a vegan substitute like coconut milk.
- Dried herbs - If you don't have fresh thyme, you can use dried thyme instead. You can also add dried oregano or parsley for added flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Roasted Garlic
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C).
- Cut the tops of the garlic bulbs and carefully remove some of the outer layers without breaking up the cloves.
- Place the whole heads of garlic on aluminum foil and drizzle the tops of the cloves with olive oil.
- Wrap in foil, place on a small baking sheet, and roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes.
Potato Soup
- In a large pot, heat avocado oil over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, leek, caraway seeds (if using), and sea salt.
- Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add carrots and celery, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add potatoes, bay leaf, and vegetable broth. Stir everything together and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
- Take out the bay leaf and add fresh thyme leaves and black pepper.
- Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the bulbs into the soup.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Alternatively, you can use a regular blender to puree the soup. Be very careful when using a blender to blend hot liquids as the lid could fly off if you keep it fully closed. An immersion hand blender is always a safer option.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve the soup as it is, it's absolutely delicious on its own but if you want to add some extra toppings to make it extra special and pretty, here are some ideas.
- Parmesan or Pecorino cheese - Both grated and shaved parmesan make a great topping. It adds saltiness and melts well into the soup.
- Fresh herbs - Add more fresh parsley, chives, or more thyme for added flavor and freshness.
- Spices - An extra sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper is always a great addition. You can also add red pepper flakes for added heat.
- Croutons - Try the soup with these Sourdough Croutons! They're extra crunchy and garlicky.
- Cream - I like drizzling yogurt or cream on top if I don't have any pecorino or when I want to make the soup extra creamy. You can also add grated cheddar cheese for a more classic cheesy soup.
Storing
Fridge: Store any leftovers in an airtight container or a jar in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove over medium heat until warmed through.
Freezer: Store the soup in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for 3-4 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before heating up or cook from frozen with a splash of water. I like using soup freezer cubes for easy storage.
FAQs
No, if you don't have an immersion or regular blender, you can keep the soup as it it. It will be just as delicious. Just chop the potatoes, carrots, and celery into bite-sized pieces and chop the roasted garlic finely before adding it to the soup.
You can add some cooked chickpeas to make it more filling and protein-rich. If you like lentils, check out my Potato Leek and Lentil Soup with Caraway Seeds.
Yes, it freezes really well and it's easy to defrost. You can defrost it in the fridge overnight before warming up but I most often simply cook it from frozen with a splash of water.
More Creamy Soup Recipes
If you're looking for other creamy soup recipes that don't require any cream or milk, give the three linked below a try! The broccoli soup is my all-time favorite! It has roasted broccoli croutons with crispy pecorino that are delicious both in the soup and on their own!
- White Bean Tomato Soup
- Vegan Lentil Soup
- Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup
- Potato Leek and Lentil Soup with Caraway Seeds
- Cream of Broccoli Soup with Roasted Broccoli Croutons
📖 Recipe
Potato Garlic Soup
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Potato Garlic Soup is made with caramelized roasted garlic. Serve it for lunch or light dinner. It's easy to make and freezer-friendly!
Ingredients
- 2 bulbs garlic
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- ½ leek, finelly chopped (white part only)
- ½ tsp caraway seeds (optional)
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1-2 carrots, sliced
- 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
- 3 lb yellow potatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- For serving: croutons, cream, yogurt, parmesan, fresh herbs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C).
- Cut the tops of the garlic bulbs and carefully remove some of the outer layers without breaking up the cloves.
- Place on aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil.
- Wrap in foil, place on a small baking sheet, and roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes.
- In a large pot, heat avocado oil over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, leek, caraway seeds (if using), and sea salt.
- Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add carrots and celery, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add potatoes, bay leaf, and vegetable broth. Stir everything together and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
- Take out the bay leaf and add fresh thyme leaves and black pepper. Squeeze the roasted garlic out the bulbs into the soup.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with croutons, cream, or parmesan, and fresh herbs.
Equipment
Notes
Roasted garlic: You can either squeeze the cloves out of the bulbs into the soup with your hands or use a small spoon or fork to get them out. I find using a spoon gets out more garlic than squeezing it.
Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.
Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months.
Reheat from the fridge in a small saucepan over medium heat. Allow to simmer for a couple of minutes and serve.
Reheat from the freezer either from frozen with a splash of water or allow the defrost first in the fridge overnight.
Gloria
The humble potato is the star of the show. This soup is just what we need with this frigid weather we are having. A nice hot bowl of soup for supper sounds great.
Bernice
What a lovely bowl of soup. Simple and uncomplicated yet so incredibly delicious. I've been wanting to keep my 'soup for one meal a week' streak alive and this one is next on the list.
Vicky
Any recipe that has roasted garlic in it, count me in! When you combine it with my beloved potato, well I'm salivating your soup looks so incredible! I want to eat a big bowl right now!
Elaine
This soup is so delicious! I made it the other day and it was easy to make and everyone loved it. It's a keeper, for sure!
Tammy
What a picture-perfect soup for the season! I love creamy soups and this sounds like it would hit the spot. I wish I had a bowl right now.
Loreto and Nicoletta
You can't beat simplicity. Potatoes, roasted garlic and a good veggie soup base. Absolutely delicious! 😋 It looks so comforting, we just want to wrap our hands around that bowl a d take in all that comfort and aroma! Well done! 😋 👍
Kathryn
This soup hit the spot! We loved the garlic and potatoe combination.
Erin
I love how loaded with garlic flavor this was! I made it for lunch and can't wait to have it again for dinner. SO good!
Dennis
Your potato soup made a delicious lunch today. It was just what I needed with these frigid temperatures.
Carrie Robinson
I love how simple, yet flavorful this soup is. :) I wish I had a bowl of this in front of me right now. Adding this to my weekly dinner plan this coming week.
Sean B
So I had a ton of potatoes left over that I needed to get rid of and your soup was the perfect use for them. It was delightful.