The Pub Classic Reimagined Rich Cheddar Roasted Garlic Thyme Potato Soup

Cheesy Garlic Herb Soup

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Preparation time:20 Mins

Cooking time:40 Mins

Servings:6 servings

Ingredients:

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Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the top off the two garlic heads, drizzle with oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 30 35 minutes until soft and golden. Set aside to cool slightly.
• In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the diced onion and celery. Sauté until softened, about 6 8 minutes.
• Add the minced fresh garlic and dried thyme; cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to cook out the raw flour taste.
• Gradually whisk in the cold stock until smooth. Add the cubed potatoes and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
• Remove the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it reaches your desired consistency (smooth or slightly chunky).
• Squeeze the soft, roasted garlic pulp directly into the soup. Stir well to combine. Stir in the heavy cream. Heat gently, but do not boil once the cream is added.
• Reduce heat to the lowest setting. Add the grated cheddar in small handfuls, stirring constantly until each addition is fully melted and incorporated before adding the next. Season aggressively with salt and pepper.
• Stir in half the fresh chives. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the remaining chives and a fresh grind of pepper. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

Nutrition Facts

Calories	450
Fat	28g
Fiber	3g

Recipe Info

Category	Soup
Cuisine	American

Beyond the Bowl: Elevating the Classic Potato Soup Experience

When the weather turns crisp and the desire for deeply satisfying sustenance takes hold, there is simply no substitute for a truly great soup. We’re not talking about thin, utilitarian broth; we are diving headfirst into the rich, enveloping embrace of a proper Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup .

This recipe moves far beyond the rudimentary versions you might remember, transforming humble tubers and dairy into something truly spectacular. It’s a culinary hug, perfected through measured technique and the mindful inclusion of high quality flavour builders.

Expect this to become a staple in your rotation of Comfort Food Soup Recipes .

Why This Recipe Redefines Cold Weather Comfort Food

This particular iteration of Creamy Potato Soup Recipe is designed for depth, not speed. While many quick versions rely solely on heavy cream for texture, we build complexity layer by layer.

The result is a Hearty Potato Soup that manages to be both intensely flavourful and incredibly smooth, proving that easy cooking doesn't have to mean sacrificing sophistication.

This dish is remarkably forgiving, making it accessible even for novice cooks, yet robust enough to impress seasoned palates.

The Secret to Achieving Next Level Savory Depth

The magic truly begins with the garlic. Instead of simply tossing raw, pungent cloves into the pot, we are going to roast two entire heads of garlic until they are sweet, soft, and spreadable.

This low-and-slow technique mellows the harsh allicin compounds, transforming them into a sweet, caramelized paste that infuses the entire pot with an unparalleled savoury background note. Combined with the sharpness of aged cheddar, this transforms the soup from simple to sublime.

Our Promise: The Ultimate Cheesy Potato Experience

The goal here is maximum melt and minimum graininess. Achieving the perfect Cheddar Potato Soup requires attention during the final incorporation stage. We use sharp, freshly grated cheddar never pre-shredded and introduce it off the heat, ensuring a silken, emufied finish rather than a broken, oily texture.

This attention to detail is what sets this Herb Garlic Potato Soup apart.

Meet the Star Ingredients of Your New Favorite Soup

Our recipe calls for Russet potatoes, prized for their high starch content, which contributes beautifully to the natural thickness of the base as they simmer and break down. We anchor the flavour with the classic mirepoix of onion and celery, enhanced by the deep, sweet roast of the garlic we prepared.

Fresh herbs specifically thyme and chives provide an earthy lift that cuts beautifully through the richness of the cheese and cream. This combination results in a soup that is satisfyingly rich, making it a true centerpiece for any meal.

Assembling the Foundation: Essential Components for Richness

Before we even touch the stove, ensuring you have the right components ready makes the cooking process seamless. We aim for a rich starting point, utilizing butter as our fat medium to build the roux the classic thickener that gives this Garlic Potato Soup its structure.

The choice between chicken or vegetable stock is yours, but a low-sodium option is highly recommended to maintain control over the final seasoning, especially since sharp cheddar brings its own salinity. We’ll need four cups of stock to achieve the correct ratio with the two pounds of peeled, cubed potatoes.

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Tool Kit Essentials for Perfect Texture

The right equipment plays a crucial role, particularly when aiming for that luxurious, velvety mouthfeel. A heavy bottomed Dutch oven or stockpot is essential here; it distributes heat evenly, preventing scorching during the sauté and simmering phases.

Choosing the Right Potato and Dairy Duo

Starchy potatoes like Russets are the champions for creamy soups because they release starches during cooking, providing body without needing excessive flour. For the dairy, a mix is key: heavy cream introduces the necessary fat content for silkiness, while the sharp aged cheddar provides the tangy flavour backbone.

Remember, the quality of your cheese dictates the texture of the finish.

The Aromatic Bouquet: Fresh Herbs and Garlic Preparation

While the main heads of garlic are destined for roasting, we reserve four fresh cloves, minced finely, to bloom alongside the onions. This gives us a sharp, immediate garlic punch layered beneath the mellow sweetness of the roasted variety.

The dried thyme is added early to allow its earthy notes to infuse the cooking liquids thoroughly during the simmer phase.

Must Have Cheese Grading for Optimal Melt and Tang

If you take only one tip from this entire guide, let it be this: you must grate your cheese fresh from a block. Pre-shredded cheddar is coated in cellulose or potato starch to prevent clumping in the bag; these agents actively fight against smooth melting in a liquid, leading to a grainy or separated soup.

Opt for a high quality, sharp aged cheddar for the best flavour punch that stands up to the potatoes.

Stock Depth: Broth Selection and Liquid Ratios

Our liquid base begins with four cups of quality stock. It’s vital to introduce this liquid gradually while whisking if using a conventional blender, or slowly pouring if using an immersion blender over the roux, ensuring a smooth base is established before the potatoes go in.

The inclusion of one whole bay leaf during the simmer acts as a quiet background player, adding subtle herbaceous complexity that binds the garlic and herbs together.

The Culinary Journey: Step-by-Step Preparation Guide

The beauty of this Easy Potato Soup lies in its straightforward progression. We move methodically from flavour building to tenderizing the starches, culminating in the critical cheese incorporation.

Building the Flavor Base: Sautéing and Softening Vegetables

Begin by melting the butter in your heavy pot over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and celery. Allow these aromatics to soften thoroughly, approximately eight minutes, rendering them sweet and translucent.

Next, stir in the four minced raw garlic cloves and the dried thyme, cooking just until fragrant about sixty seconds. You are now ready to introduce the flour to create a light roux, which you must cook for two full minutes, stirring constantly, to eliminate any raw, pasty flavour.

Simmering Strategy: Achieving Tender Potatoes

Whisk in the stock gradually until the roux is fully incorporated and smooth. Add the cubed potatoes, the bay leaf, and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Immediately reduce the heat to maintain a steady, gentle simmer. Cover partially and allow this mixture to cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.

The potatoes must be entirely fork tender, yielding easily to pressure, signifying that their starches are ready to create body.

The Emufication Art: Incorporating Cheese Without Breaking

Once the potatoes are soft, remove the bay leaf. Blend the soup using an immersion blender until you reach your preferred texture some prefer it entirely smooth, while others enjoy some rustic chunks remaining. Next, stir in the soft pulp from the roasted garlic heads and the half cup of heavy cream.

Crucially, turn the heat down to its absolute lowest setting, or even slightly off the heat entirely. Add the freshly grated cheddar cheese in small, managed portions, stirring until each addition is fully melted and incorporated before introducing the next batch.

This patient approach prevents the cheese proteins from seizing.

Final Seasoning Adjustments Before Serving

After the cheese is fully melted, the soup requires aggressive final seasoning. Taste it critically; it will likely need more salt than you anticipate due to the starch and dairy absorbing flavour.

Finish by stirring in half of your chopped fresh chives, distributing that bright oniony note throughout the Hearty Potato Soup .

Mastering the Velvety Finish of Your Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup

The transition from a starchy broth to a creamy delight hinges on managing heat during the final stages. If the liquid is too hot when the cheese is introduced, the milk fats separate, resulting in a greasy texture rather than a smooth sauce.

Patience here guarantees that luxurious coating quality associated with exceptional Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup .

Optimizing Your Batch: Storage and Reheating Techniques

This soup is actually fantastic for meal prepping, provided you follow specific guidelines regarding the cheese element.

Troubleshooting: Preventing Grainy Texture in the Creamy Base

If, despite your best efforts, your soup appears slightly grainy, try this remedy: take about one cup of the hot soup and whisk it vigorously into a few tablespoons of room temperature cream cheese until smooth. Then, stir this mixture back into the main pot.

The extra emufying power of the cream cheese can often bind the separated fats back into a cohesive sauce.

Freezing Fidelity: Best Practices for Preserving Your Soup

While this soup is excellent fresh, the dairy components benefit from careful freezing. If you know you won't finish it within four days, it is best to freeze it before adding the heavy cream and cheddar.

Freeze the thickened, potato pureed base, then thaw, reheat gently, and only then stir in the cream and cheese according to the recipe instructions. This ensures optimal texture upon reheating.

Toppings That Truly Complement the Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup Profile

The richness of this Cheddar Potato Soup begs for textural contrast. Beyond the reserved chives, consider scattering crispy crumbled bacon, crunchy croutons seasoned with smoked paprika, or even a drizzle of high quality olive oil infused with red pepper flakes for a little heat kick.

Nutritional Snapshot and Ingredient Swaps for Dietary Needs

This recipe is inherently rich, providing substantial calories and satisfying fat content. For a lighter approach, you can substitute the heavy cream with evaporated milk or an unsweetened cashew cream alternative, though this will slightly alter the characteristic richness.

If omitting dairy entirely is necessary, a high quality, unsweetened plant based milk combined with a potato starch slurry can mimic the texture, though the classic cheddar tang will be lost unless a vegan cheddar alternative is used.