Garlic Potato Soup
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen.
Two whole heads of garlic simmer right in the broth until soft enough to mash into a paste, giving this potato soup a deep, mellow garlic flavour without any harsh bite. A mix of floury and red-skinned waxy potatoes gives it body, and crisp garlic chips scattered over the top add the crunch and punch the slow-cooked garlic doesn't.
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Method
- 1
Soften the leek. Melt the butter in a large casserole (Dutch oven) over medium heat. Once the foaming settles, add the leek and cook until soft but not browned, 5-8 min. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 min.
- 2
Simmer the garlic heads. Add the whole garlic heads, broth, bay leaves and fine salt. Partially cover and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until a knife tip slides easily into the garlic, 30-40 min.
- 3
Add the potatoes. Add both potatoes and continue to simmer, partially covered, until tender, 15-20 min.
- 4
Mash the garlic. Discard the bay leaves. Lift out the garlic heads and, using tongs or a folded piece of kitchen paper, squeeze each one at the root end until the soft cloves slip free of their skins. Mash the cloves to a smooth paste with a fork.
- 5
Finish the soup. Stir the cream, thyme and half the garlic paste into the soup and heat until hot, about 2 min. Taste and stir in more garlic paste if you want it stronger. Blend with a stick blender until creamy but with some potato chunks left, or purée about 350 ml of the potatoes with 240 ml of the broth in a blender and stir the purée back in; thin with a little more broth if needed. Season with salt and pepper.
- 6
Fry the garlic chips and serve. Heat the olive oil and sliced garlic in a frying pan over medium-high heat, turning the slices often, until light golden, about 3 min. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with kitchen paper, discard the oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with chives and garlic chips.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months, and reheat gently over medium-low heat. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
EU nutrition claims
- Source of protein: 3.1 g protein per 100 kcal, about 12% of energy (needs ≥ 12%)
- Low sugars: 2.5 g sugars per 100 ml (limit ≤ 2.5 g)
Per 100 ml of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 137 ml a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0 g per serving
0 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- large casserole (Dutch oven)
- garlic press
- tongs or kitchen paper
- fork or potato masher
- stick blender (or blender/food processor)
- 25 cm frying pan
- slotted spoon
- ladle
Nutrition per serving Calculated from USDA FoodData Central
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 353 kcal |
| Protein | 10.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 44.7 g |
| of which sugars | 3.4 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 16.4 g |
| of which saturates | 8.9 g |
| Fibre | 3.6 g |
| Salt | 1.23 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3.1 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
