How to Make, Potato and Roast Garlic Soup

Potato and Roast Garlic Soup is a simple recipe, yet quite refined. Ideal as a starter for a dinner party or served in expresso cups as a pre-starter. Its rich, smooth consistency, offset by serving the soup with parsley pesto is always a winner!

This is not made with the harsh, biting garlic that you may be imagining. Roast garlic is wonderfully mellow, and sweet on the tongue. If you have yet to discover the joy of roast garlic, look up our post on How to Become a Garlic Expert.

Jump to the video.

You will need.

• Suitable saucepan with lid
• Chopping board and knife
• Small spoon
• Heatproof spatula
• Liquidizer

Potato and Roast Garlic Soup.

Serves 4.

• 30g                 unsalted butter
• 180g               white of leek
• 1                     head of roast garlic
• 80g                 celeriac
• 600g               potatoes (I used red rooster)
• 1lt                   hot chicken stock
•                        Mill pepper and sea salt

To Serve.

• 4tbsp              double cream
• 2tbsp              lightly toasted pine kernels
• Parsley pesto (see below)

Potato and Roast garlic Soup, Preparation.

Using a teaspoon, scoop the soft roasted garlic out of the shell. Place the garlic to one side then drop the leftover shell into the hot stock to infuse.

There is no need to simmer the garlic shell in the stock. It will release enough flavour on its own.

Wash, trim, and thinly slice the leek. Peel the celeriac and slice into small pieces so it cooks quickly.

Cooking Potato and Roast Garlic Soup

Heat the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the leeks and cook slowly with the lid on for about 5 minutes.

Add the celeriac to the pan along with the soft garlic, Strain the stock over the vegetables, discarding the shell of the garlic. Add a pinch of salt and two or three turns of mill pepper. Beware, you may not need the salt if you are using stock cubes.

Bring the soup up to the simmer and let it cook while you peel the potatoes.

Slice the potatoes into small, thin pieces and add to the pan. Bring the pan to a gentle simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the potato is tender.

 As the soup is cooking it’s time to make the parsley pesto.

Parsley pesto.

You will need.

Small food processor or mortar and pestle

For the parsley pesto.

• 
  2 tbsp                         olive oil
  14g                             fresh parsley leaves
  1 tbsp                         pine kernels
                                   squeeze of lime juice
•                                    sea salt and mill pepper

Wash and pick the parsley to remove any stalks. Crush the pine kernels then add the parsley leaves.

Process the leaves down to a coarse paste then work in the olive oil and lemon juice. Season and store in the fridge until needed.

Serving Potato and Roast Garlic Soup.

Allow the soup to cool slightly and then liquidize. Have a taste and correct the seasoning if needed.

Serve in small bowls with a swirl of cream and a spoonful of parsley pesto in the middle.  Sprinkle on a few toasted pine kernels and serve.

You can also serve this in little cups. Freshly liquidized, it should have a nice cappuccino-like froth on top.  

Variations.

Make a seasonal variation in the spring. Leave the roast garlic out completely and when the potatoes are tender throw in a handful of washed and picked wild garlic leaves. Let the soup cook for five minutes then liquidise. Use a dollop of crème fraiche on top in place of the parsley pesto.

Don’t forget to check out the video.

Enjoy life !

John.