Roasted Garlic Potato Soup

Roasted garlic potato soup delivers a rich, velvety texture with a deep, mellow flavor from the garlic. The potatoes make it hearty and filling, while a touch of cream balances everything into a cozy bowl of comfort. Perfect for chilly evenings, it’s a simple yet satisfying dish you’ll want to make again and again.

Love More Potato Soup Recipes ? Try My Carrot Potato Soup or this Cheesy Potato Soup next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Creamy and cozy with a rich, nutty flavor from the roasted garlic, this soup is hearty enough to satisfy on its own yet simple enough for an easy weeknight dinner. Every spoonful feels like pure comfort in a bowl.

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Ingredient List

For the Roasted Garlic:

• 1 head garlic, whole
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For the Soup:

• 1¾ pounds russet potatoes, peeled
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 cup white onions, chopped
• 1 leek (whites and light greens only), cleaned and sliced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4–5 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup whole milk
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon fresh thyme (or ¼ teaspoon dried)
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Toppings:

• Chopped fresh chives
• Grilled cheese croutons
• Extra Parmesan cheese

Quick swaps: No leek? Extra onions work fine. Dairy-free? Cashew milk. Vegetarian? Veggie broth.

Why These Ingredients Work

Russets are the only potatoes that work here. Trust me, I tried Yukon Gold once and the texture was all wrong – too waxy, wouldn’t break down right. Red potatoes were even worse. Russets get creamy and smooth when you blend them. The leek makes it taste fancier than just onions, but honestly if you don’t have one, whatever. That flour thickens everything so it’s not watery soup. The bit of Parmesan at the end adds this nutty thing that people can’t quite figure out but love.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Big pot with a heavy bottom
• Foil for the garlic
• Good knife
• Immersion blender (way easier than regular blender)
• Strainer for washing leeks
• Whisk
• Ladle

How To Make Roasted Garlic Potato Soup

Step 1: Roast the Garlic

Heat oven to 375°F. Cut the top off the garlic head so the cloves are showing but everything stays together. Drizzle olive oil on it, sprinkle salt and pepper, wrap in foil tight. Roast 40-45 minutes until the cloves are soft and golden. Your house will smell amazing.

Step 2: Cook the Potatoes

Boil a big pot of salted water. Add peeled potatoes and cook until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let them cool enough to handle. Cut into chunks.

Step 3: Sauté Aromatics

Melt butter in your Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and leeks, cook 6-8 minutes until soft. They should look translucent when done.

Step 4: Make the Base

Turn heat to medium. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth, then milk, cream, thyme, salt, and pepper. Whisk constantly or you’ll get lumps. Bring to a boil, then simmer 2-3 minutes until it thickens a bit.

Step 5: Finish the Soup

Add potatoes, squeeze those roasted garlic cloves right into the pot, add Parmesan. Blend with immersion blender until smooth. Add more broth if it’s too thick. Taste and fix seasoning.

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy

Ladle into bowls. Top with chives, cheese, grilled cheese chunks, whatever you want.

You Must Know

Don’t skip roasting the garlic. Raw garlic would be way too strong and harsh. Roasted garlic is sweet and mellow – totally different thing. Also make sure your potatoes are actually tender before blending. Hard potatoes won’t blend smooth and you’ll have lumpy soup.

Personal Secret: Save some of that potato cooking water before draining. If your soup gets too thick, this starchy water thins it out perfectly without messing up the flavor. Way better than adding more broth.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Salt everything as you go. Salt the garlic, salt the potato water heavy, taste the base before adding final ingredients. When blending, start slow. Over-blend russets and they turn into paste. If using regular blender, let soup cool first and only fill halfway. Hot soup in full blender equals kitchen explosion.

Biggest mistake people make: dumping all the liquid in at once. Add it slow while whisking or you get flour lumps that never dissolve.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Bacon crumbles on top are incredible. Sharp cheddar stirred in works great. Want lighter? Use half milk, half broth instead of cream. Truffle oil drizzle makes it fancy. I’ve added roasted carrots when I had extras – really good. Fresh rosemary instead of thyme is nice too.

Make-Ahead Options

Make this ahead all you want. Roast garlic and boil potatoes day before. Finished soup keeps 3-4 days in fridge, tastes better next day honestly. Freezes fine for months but you’ll need to whisk in milk when reheating since dairy gets weird frozen. Reheat slow on stovetop, stir often.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Potato thing: Only use russets. Waxy potatoes don’t break down right. Learned this the expensive way.

Leek cleaning: These hold dirt like crazy. Slice first, then rinse really well in strainer.

Blending: Take pot off heat first. Tilt pot so blender head stays under soup surface.

Serving Suggestions

Great alone but even better with crusty bread for dunking. Those grilled cheese croutons? Cut up leftover grilled cheese into cubes. My kids lose their minds for this. For parties, double the recipe and keep warm in crockpot. Garnish with chives and paprika looks pretty.

How to Store Your Roasted Garlic Potato Soup

Fridge for 4 days max in whatever containers you have. Freezes fine for 3 months but might separate a little. Reheat on stovetop over low heat, stir occasionally. Don’t microwave big portions – heats uneven and you’ll burn your mouth.

Allergy Information

Has dairy and gluten. Dairy-free: use coconut milk, nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan. Gluten-free: skip flour, potatoes thicken it enough. No nuts but check your broth labels.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Different potatoes work?

No. Tried Yukon once, texture was off. Red potatoes were disaster.

How do I know garlic’s done?

Cloves should squish when pressed and smell sweet, not sharp. Golden brown color.

Skip the cream?

Yeah, just use all milk. Won’t be as rich but still good.

Lumpy soup why?

Didn’t cook flour long enough or added liquid too fast. Cook flour full minute, whisk constantly adding liquids.

Other vegetables?

Roasted carrots or parsnips are great. Roast with garlic, add with potatoes.

This soup has gotten me through so many crazy weeknights. Hope it saves your dinner too.

💬 Made this? Tell me how it went! Any disasters or amazing discoveries?