I really wanted to make 44 Clove Garlic Soup with Leeks and Bacon, and if you’ve made it you know that it’s a very delicate soup and not really complete-meal material. So I modified it again, and added more bacon and a bunch of potatoes, and decided that now we’re cooking with gas. It’s officially a hearty meal. WElcome to my Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup!
I do a lot of modified recipes, and didn’t really want something so similar to another thing on my blog. But one of my roommates pointed out that the other was more like an appetizer soup, and this one is definitely a meal. That put my mind at ease, and I’m happy to report that I now have an incredible recipe for a hearty potato soup that I look forward to making all winter long.
I started out by heating the oven to 350Ā°F and putting about 30 cloves of garlic in a glass baking pan. I tossed the garlic with a little olive oil (skins and all), and let it roast for about 40 minutes.
Then I let it cool for an hour or two, and when I was ready to make the soup I started by popping the garlics out of the skins – which is much easier when they’re roasted.
Then I got my ingredients together and gathered chicken broth, bacon, green onions, potatoes, thyme, butter, salt, and pepper. Take a look at my amazing cobbled together flat lay. It might be time to invest in a dedicated work space to take pictures (haha).
I needed fat to cook the ingredients in, so I started by chopping the bacon into tiny bits, and frying it on medium so that I could render the fat out, and also get a consistent crispy result. You really need the bacon to be crispy, because it’s going to go back in the liquid, and I don’t think there’s a person on the planet that’s a fan of soggy bacon. So, crisp it up!
After the bacon rendered, I scooped it out and on to a paper towel so it could cool and drain. I had sliced my green onions while the bacon was cooking, so I was ready to just toss them into the bacon fat. I also added 3 tablespoons of butter to the pan.
While the onions cooked to translucent, I peeled the roasted garlic and a few fresh garlic cloves to bring the total up to 35. The cloves were pretty large, so use your judgment with that.
When the onions were almost translucent, I added the garlic to the pot, and let it cook for another 2 minutes. Then I added the chicken broth, brought it to a boil, and let it cook until the fresh garlic was tender – about 20 minutes.
While the garlic was cooking, I peeled 4 large russet potatoes, chopped them into 1-inch cubes. I dropped them into a separate pot, put enough water to just cover them, salted the water and let them boil for about 20 minutes.
When the garlic was tender, I shut off the burner, took off the lid, and let it cool for a couple minutes while I set up the blender. I put 2 ladles full of the broth mixture into the blender at a time and pressed liquefy for a few seconds. Then I put the blended broth into another pan while I continued to blend the rest of the mixture.
I put all of the blended mixture into the pan, and turned the burner back on to medium. I drained the potatoes and blended 2 ladles of them, then added them to the mixture in the original pot. I also added the rest of the potato cubes, plus 1 cup of heavy cream, salt and pepper to taste.
Let me know in the comments or your Instagrams how this turned out!
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Roasted Garlic Potato Soup (with Bacon!)
Ingredients
- 40 Cloves Garlic leave 30 unpeeled, peel 10
- 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive OIl
- 1/2 Pound Bacon
- 1 Cup Green Onions sliced
- 3 Tbsp Butter Unsalted
- 4 Cups Chicken Broth
- 4 Large Russet Potatoes
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Tbsp Dried Thyme
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350Ā°F
- Place unpeeled garlic in baking vessel, and coat with olive oil
- Roast for about 40 minutes
While the garlic is roasting
- Slice bacon into thin pieces and render in soup pot over medium heat until crispy
While bacon is rendering
- Slice green onions, set aside some of the chives to add at the end
After bacon has rendered
- Remove from oil, and dry on paper towel
- Add onions to the bacon grease, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until translucent – stirring occasionally
- Add butter and let melt
While the onions are cooking
- Remove garlic from oven, and let cool for a few minutes
- Peel roasted garlic, and add it and the fresh garlic to the soup pan
- Let sizzle for 2 minutes
- Add chicken broth, cover and bring to a boil. Let cook for about 20 minutes, or until fresh garlic is tender.
While garlic and onions are boiling
- Peel potatoes, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- Put in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil
- Let potatoes cook for 20 minutes, or until tender
When garlic and potatoes are tender
- Blend the broth mixture, 2 ladles at a time, until smooth. Put in heat-safe bowl and set aside until all of the broth mixture is blended.
- Blend 2 ladles of potatoes
- Add all blended items back to the pan, plus heavy cream, thyme and salt & pepper to taste
- Add potatoes, and let cook for 5-10 minutes
- When you're ready to serve the soup, stir in bacon bits and chives at the end
- Top with grated parmesan
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Very delicious!