This comforting Roasted Garlic and Leek Soup combines the mellowed flavors of roasted garlic with the subtle taste of leeks. Enhanced with spices and sweet potato, it’s a perfect cool-weather treat.
This week I’m in comfort food mode. When the weather is cool and the days are short, I just feel like I need a healthy dinner option that has a rich taste and creamy texture and satisfies in a way that other foods don’t. And one of my favorite cool-weather comfort foods? Soup!
Here’s what I love most about this roasted garlic and leek soup, and I think you will too…
It uses a WHOLE head of roasted garlic. YES.
Now, if you haven’t done this before and you think it sounds like too much garlic, hear me out. When garlic is roasted, it transforms from that super strong, spicy garlic flavor, into a sweet, soft mound of deliciousness. The garlic flavor is mellowed and you can tolerate larger amounts of it. Try roasting a whole head of garlic and then spreading the cloves straight on a piece of crisp bread. It’s amazing!
Secondly, leeks. I can’t let the cooler months come and go without using some leeks. They are one of my favorite vegetables to use, with a slightly more subtle flavor than onion, but still a good kick. When sautéed, the leeks turn completely soft and glossy, making them the perfect base for soup.
Decorate your bowl with some coconut milk, chili flakes, crispy croutons, and greens, and you’ve got yourself a great meal! This soup freezes well, so why not double the quantities and freeze portions ready for those days when you need a quick lunch or dinner?
Try serving it with a side of fresh rosemary bread to make this meal a bit more hearty and max out the comfort level.
Roasted Garlic and Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweet potato cubed
- 1 cup leeks sliced
- 1 head garlic
- 4 1/4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 can tomatoes crushed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/8 tsp ground cardomom
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- black pepper
- coconut milk
- watercress
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Peel any excess skin off the garlic bulb, but leave it together. Chop the very top off the cloves to they are slightly exposed. Drizzle on a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and wrap the whole bulb in tin foil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes then leave to cool. Use a knife to remove the inside of the cloves into a bowl, they should easily slide out of the skins and be very soft.
- Chop the green part off the leeks then slice them finely. Wash the sweet potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch chunks. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of a large pot and saute the leeks for a few minutes until they become soft. Add the spices and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the sweet potato, vegetable stock, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, and simmer for 30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are cooked. Add the roasted garlic 5 minutes before the end.
- Using a blender or a stick blender, blitz the soup until completely smooth. Serve with a swirl of coconut milk, some chilli flakes, watercress and croutons.
Images by Lauren Caris Short.
Just tried this. Made a tasty soup, but the tomato predominated. Just noticed the comment below and now know that the cans of tomatoes I used were way too large. Also, how large should the heads of garlic be (approximate weight)? I suspect the ones I used were much too small. And one more question – is the weight of leeks called for measured before or after cutting off the too-tough green tops?
So excited to make this! How big should the can of crushed tomatoes be?
Hi Sara! Yay! I use a standard 14oz (400g) can!