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By Alisa Fleming on Alisa's Favorite Dairy-Free Recipes, Dairy-Free Recipes, Soup
Several years back, we signed up for a local CSA box. It was March, and I was expecting the usual early spring fare, like asparagus and early season leafy greens. But the first delivery included an abundance of late winter cruciferae (I was in heaven!) and some new to me vegetables, like green garlic. Green garlic is “baby” garlic that is harvested early in the season before the bulb is fully formed. It looks a lot like scallions, or green onions.
Green garlic is milder than garlic, so you can use more of it in recipes. In fact, I used a full half pound (trimmed) in this creamy green garlic soup recipe.
Creamy Green Garlic Soup That Will Warm You from the Inside
This green garlic soup is like a cross between classic potato-leek soup and garlic potato soup. I love it on cool spring days, and it’s a healthy dish to serve on St. Patrick’s Day. Since I trim the green garlic, and use just the whites, pink, and light green, it only has a very faint green hue. But you can garnish it with the chopped greens, for an extra pop of color.
Creamy Green Garlic Soup Recipe Tips
How You Can Make This Soup Even Creamier – I used just the potatoes and olive oil to create the lightly creamy finish. If you want it a little more creamy, you can finish it with a little coconut cream or cashew cream. Or you can substitute 1 cup of the broth with 1 cup of unsweetened dairy-free milk beverage, unsweetened dairy-free half and half, or lite coconut milk.
The Potatoes Matter –Cheap russet potatoes are great for creamy soups like this due to their high starch content. Yukon Golds have a medium starch content, smooth flesh, and a buttery flavor that also works well in this creamy green garlic soup recipe. But try to avoid waxier potatoes like most reds and new potatoes.
And So Does the Method – For the smoothest finish, use a regular blender. But make sure to vent the steam as you blend. To do this, remove the vent hole and place a tea towel firmly over the hole as the soup blends. Tony prefers to use an immersion blender. You can still make the soup pretty darn smooth, and it’s a less messy in-pot blending method.
How to Substitute Green Garlic – In my opinion, green garlic does have a bit of a “green” taste. Both the look and the flavor are like a cross between large green onions / spring onions and mature garlic. But you can substitute garlic in a pinch. I’ve added an option to the recipe. And I think this soup would also be great with a bulb of roasted garlic in place of the green garlic.
Special Diet Notes: Creamy Green Garlic Soup
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.
Creamy Green Garlic Soup
Cook time
Total time
Green garlic is milder in flavor than mature garlic, but I have included a garlic clove option.
Author: Alisa Fleming
Serves: 3 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1¼ cups diced yellow onion
- ½ pound green garlic, thinly sliced and halved (I use the whites, pink, and part way up the green)*
- ½ pound Yukon gold or russet potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 4 cups (1 quart) chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1½ to 3 teaspoons dairy-free buttery spread, to finish (optional)
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 3 to 5 minutes, or until translucent.
- Add the garlic, potatoes, and ½ teaspoon salt, and saute for 5 minutes. If the pan dries out, splash in a little broth to prevent sticking.
- Add the broth and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Using an immersion blender or regular blender (in batches), puree the soup until smooth. If using a blender, make sure to vent the steam.
- Season the soup with additional salt, to taste.
- Ladle or pour the soup into 3 bowls. Optionally swirl each serving with ½ to 1 teaspoon buttery spread. Sprinkle with black pepper and sliced greens from the green garlic, if desired.
Notes
*In a pinch, you can substitute 2 to 4 minced garlic cloves.
More Recipes for Garlic Lovers
Cheesy Vegan Pizza Dough Garlic Rolls
Roasted Beet Sandwiches with Garlic Herb Spread
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