Garlic Soup with Aleppo Pepper Oil

A close up of garlic soup topped with fried garlic and aleppo oil in a bowl on a plate with a spoon. Next to this is a small bowl of the fried garlic and aleppo oil

4.60 from 5 votes

This creamy garlic soup uses slowly caramelized garlic and Yukon Gold potatoes for a mellow, velvety texture without heavy cream. Finish each bowl with crispy garlic and gently spicy Aleppo pepper oil.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Course: Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 373.5kcal

Author: Mark Beahm

Ingredients

For the Fried Garlic and Aleppo Pepper Oil

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

For the Garlic Soup

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 cup whole, peeled garlic cloves (about 2 large heads)
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more thyme leaves for garnish
Kosher salt
1 cup milk, plus more as needed

Instructions

Make the fried garlic and Aleppo pepper oil. Add the olive oil and sliced garlic to a small frying pan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the garlic is golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Aleppo pepper. Immediately pour the garlic and oil into a heatproof bowl and set aside.
Make the caramelized base. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and whole garlic cloves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and garlic are golden and caramelized, about 20 minutes.
Simmer the soup. Add the potatoes, stock, thyme, and a good pinch or two of salt. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Blend until creamy. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Alternatively, carefully transfer the soup to a countertop blender in batches. Remove the steam cap, cover the opening with a kitchen towel, blend, and return the soup to the pan.
Finish the soup. Stir in the milk, adding more if you prefer a thinner consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls. Finish each serving with the fried garlic, Aleppo pepper oil, and fresh thyme leaves.

Notes

Shop this recipe: Visit The Mediterranean Dish Shop for California Arbequina extra virgin olive oil and Aleppo-style pepper.
Save time: Pre-peeled garlic works well and eliminates most of the prep.
Make it vegan: Use vegetable stock and your preferred plant-based milk.
Freezing: Let the soup cool before transferring it to a freezer-safe container.

Nutrition