Rustic Country French Garlic Soup Recipe
Rustic Country French Garlic Soup is a comforting, creamy soup featuring rich roasted garlic, sautéed onions, fresh thyme, and a touch of heavy cream. This velvety soup is perfect for warming up on chilly days and is served with crusty baguette slices and garnished with fresh herbs or croutons for added texture and flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 10 garlic cloves (about 50 g), whole and unpeeled
- 1 large yellow onion (about 150 g), chopped
- 4 cups (960 ml) vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 4–5 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Finishing Touches
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- 1 small baguette or 4 slices crusty bread (about 150 g), for serving
- Fresh herbs or croutons, for garnish
Instructions
- Roast the Garlic: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the tops off the garlic bulbs, drizzle them with olive oil, then wrap in foil. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until the garlic cloves become golden, soft, and fragrant.
- Sauté the Aromatics: In a large pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until they are translucent and release a sweet, fragrant aroma.
- Add Broth and Herbs: Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins directly into the pot with the onions. Add the vegetable or chicken broth and the fresh thyme sprigs. Stir the mixture and bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer: Allow the soup to simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, permitting the flavors to deepen and meld together.
- Blend: Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until perfectly smooth. If using a regular blender, blend the soup in batches carefully to avoid spills.
- Add Cream & Season: Return the pureed soup to the pot if needed. Stir in the heavy cream and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh herbs or croutons. Serve alongside warm slices of baguette or crusty bread to complement the creamy soup.
Notes
- Roasting the garlic before adding it to the soup mellows its flavor and adds a rich, sweet depth.
- You can use either vegetable or chicken broth depending on your dietary preference.
- For a vegan version, substitute heavy cream with coconut cream or cashew cream and use vegetable broth.
- Fresh thyme provides brighter flavor, but dried thyme will work well if fresh is unavailable.
- To make croutons, cube some of the baguette slices and toast them with olive oil, salt, and herbs.
Keywords: garlic soup, French soup, roasted garlic, creamy soup, rustic soup, thyme soup, comfort food, easy soup recipe
