Roasted Garlic Potato Soup

Yum - garlic

It would seem that we are now officially in autumn, even though we never really had that real New York summer that we’ve come to expect from year to year. It’s as if we’ve had a late spring or early fall from April or May until now, with only a sprinkling of a few days of summer here and there. But now we’re getting real days of fall, with light jackets, scarves and sweaters.

I’ve discovered in the last couple of years that I love this time of year, and not just because of the turning leaves and change of wardrobe. I’m finding that one of the biggest reasons is because it allows me to get back into the kitchen in full force. I can turn on the oven or stove without having to worry about it heating up the house and competing with the air conditioner, and of course that always means a return to warm and hearty soups.

This is a twist on your typical potato soup and can be made in a variety of ways including a creamy variation (with soy milk or another preferred milk alternative), and isn’t based upon one particular recipe but is inspired by several.

Roasted Garlic Potato Soup

• 4 heads of garlic
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Pinch of salt for each head of garlic
• 6 to 8 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed (I used Idaho potatoes, but you could also use red or white potatoes, or another preferred variety)
• 8 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large onion, chopped
• Black pepper, if desired
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped, if desired

Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Take a head of garlic and turn it on its side and slice off just the tops of the garlic, so that each clove is exposed and is still attached to the head.

Preparing garlic to roast

Put the head of garlic on a piece of foil and wrap the foil up around the garlic so that when you add the olive oil it does not escape. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil on top of each head of garlic, then sprinkle a pinch of salt on each head. Cover all four heads of garlic with one sheet of aluminum foil (some people do not completely cover the garlic, but I find that this makes it so the oil does not splatter your oven). Place in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes.

Wrapping garlic in foil, then drizzling a little of olive oil on each

Once the garlic is done roasting, let it sit for a few minutes to allow it to cool.

Roasted garlic

You can then remove the garlic and place it in a small bowl or plate by squeezing it or taking a fork and pulling each clove out one by one. I wound up peeling the sides of each garlic and was able to scoop them out more easily that way, but it was still a messy process. Set the garlic aside.

As your garlic is roasting, prepare your potatoes and onions. I like to cube my potatoes straight into a large empty pot, then rinse them off. Add the water and salt, and bring to a boil (I added a vegan vegetable broth powder).

Cubed potatoes

Let the potatoes boil until they are tender, and then add in the garlic.

Take a potato masher and mash the potatoes and garlic directly in the pot, while still leaving a few larger pieces of potato intact.

Stirring and mashing the garlic and potatoes

Then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes more.

Finishing up the soup

Serve with a dash of garlic and/or a teaspoon of fresh chopped parsley.

Roasted garlic potato soup

Alternate versions

• To make this a little bit creamy, omit one or two cups of water, and after you have mashed the potatoes and garlic, stir in one or two cups of vegan milk. You’ll need to stir more frequently to ensure the vegan milk does not burn.
• To make this a smoother consistency, blend about four to six cups in your blender until smooth, then return to your pan and stir it with the portion that you did not blend.
• Want this to be heartier? Add in other vegetables like carrots, celery or tomatoes. You could also roast one or two more heads of garlic to give it a stronger garlic flavor.

This is a really nice soup. The garlic is not overwhelming, but the taste is still definitely there. This goes very well with a slice of bread spread with vegan butter, like Earth Balance or Soy Garden.

How do you prefer your potato soup? Or do you like other soups more?

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