This Vegan Four Heads of Garlic Soup is super creamy, garlicky, comforting, easy to make, and downright decadent! Perfect for a chilly night served with some crusty bread, when you need a big, warm hug in a bowl. Plus, it can also be made ahead of time and freezes well so it's great for meal prepping.
➡️ Get this recipe and more in my new cookbook Craving Vegan.
Just like the name implies, this vegan soup recipe requires four entire heads of garlic, but don't be intimidated! Roasted garlic has a milder and sweeter flavor compared to raw garlic. When garlic is roasted, the high heat caramelizes the natural sugars in the garlic cloves, which makes the garlic creamy, rich, and slightly sweet flavor. The roasted garlic is combined with raw cashews (for extra creaminess), nutritional yeast (for slight cheesiness) and chopped kale (for some texture and chew). The result is a soup that's extra creamy, rich, and loaded with flavor. This soup is perfect for chilly nights, it's like a cozy blanket for your tastebuds.
Now, this is not just another soup recipe; it's a superstar recipe from my brand-new cookbook, Craving Vegan. If you're a fan of my recipes, you're in for a treat because this cookbook is filled with some of the best plant-based dishes I've ever created. Trust me; I couldn't be more excited to share them with you! If you pre-order your copy of Craving Vegan before the release date on October 24th, you'll get a whopping $167 worth of bonuses as a free gift. 🎁Â Grab your copy today and unlock a world of flavorful, plant-based recipes that will satisfy your appetite in the most delightful way!
How to Make Four Heads of Garlic Soup:
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Roast the garlic:Â Slice off just the tops of the garlic bulbs so that the cloves are revealed inside. Place all four bulbs open side up on a large square of foil. Pour 1 teaspoon oil over each bulb, and sprinkle each with a little salt and pepper. Wrap them up in the foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for 40 minutes, until the cloves are very soft. Allow the garlic heads to cool so you can handle them more easily.
Make the soup: in a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, until they soften and begin to brown. Add the broth, water, cashews, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the cashews are softened.
Working in batches, carefully transfer the soup to a blender, being careful not to overfill the blender so that it doesn’t erupt. Squeeze the garlic out of the skins and add to the blender as well. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Alternatively, an immersion blender will work in a pinch, but i generally prefer a standing blender as it usually does a better job of blending the cashews into a smooth cream.
Return the soup to the pot, add the kale, and bring to a simmer. Cook for another 5 minutes, until the kale has softened. serve four heads of garlic soup, hot.
This four heads of garlic soup is...
- super luscious and creamy
- deliciously garlicky
- the perfect easy to make, comforting meal
More Super Comforting Vegan Recipes from Craving Vegan:
Vegan Egg Fried Rice
Potato-Lover Pierogies
The Fluffiest Bread You’ve Ever Had
Ooey Gooey Fondue-y
Beer & Cheese Soup
White Lasagna
Melty Mushrooms on Mash
One-of-a-Kind Eggplant Parm
Get all of these recipes in Craving Vegan: 101 Recipes to Satisfy Your Appetite the Plant-Based Way. Order your copy today and get $167 worth of free goodies! Learn more here.
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
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Four Heads of Garlic Soup
Servings:
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Ingredients
For the Roasted Garlic:
- 4 heads garlic
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- salt and black pepper
For the Soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cups (32oz) vegetable broth or vegan chickenless broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups shredded kale, (about 2½ oz/ 71 g), tough ribs removed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Roast the garlic: Slice off just the tops of the garlic bulbs so that the cloves are revealed inside. Place all four bulbs open side up on a large square of foil. Pour 1 teaspoon oil over each bulb, and sprinkle each with a little salt and pepper. Wrap them up in the foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for 40 minutes, until the cloves are very soft. Allow the garlic heads to cool so you can handle them more easily.
- Make the soup: in a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, until they soften and begin to brown. Add the broth, water, cashews, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the cashews are softened.
- Working in batches, carefully transfer the soup to a blender, being careful not to overfill the blender so that it doesn’t erupt. Squeeze the garlic out of the skins and add to the blender as well. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Alternatively, an immersion blender will work in a pinch, but i generally prefer a standing blender as it usually does a better job of blending the cashews into a smooth cream.
- Return the soup to the pot, add the kale, and bring to a simmer. Cook for another 5 minutes, until the kale has softened. serve hot.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More comforting vegan soup recipes:
Adriana says
It looks and sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Joyce A Stevens says
Sam
Would it be ok to add a diced potato in the soup?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Joyce! Yes, I think that would be delicious! Enjoy 🙂
Joyce A Stevens says
Thank you. I am looking forward to making this soup.
Chantelle Curtis says
This recipe looks delicious! If I wanted to omit the cashews would a white bean work instead for creaminess? Thank you!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Chantelle! Yes a white bean should work very well. The soup will have a slightly less creamy feel to it but it will still be delicious, enjoy!
Ez says
This was delicious and pretty easy to make. I only have a small food processor so I whizzed up the cashews, roasted garlic, sauteed onion etc in that before adding to the pot with the broth and mixing it in. It worked well!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed it, and thank you for sharing your tips!!
Tara Martin-MIlius says
What a wonderful soup! I'm not vegan and never thought of cashews as anything but a nut--what a fabulous cream for the soup it is... Wow!
Sam Turnbull says
So thrilled you love it so much Tara! 🙂
Maureen says
The whole family loved this soup, thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy to hear that 🙂
Suey says
Do you have any suggestions for alternatives for people who have a cashew allergy?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, you can use blanched almonds or raw sunflower seeds 🙂
LBk says
If I have small heads of garlic, should I double the amount?
Sam Turnbull says
I would do one and a half times (so 6 heads total). I hope that helps!
Diane Gray says
My new FAVORITE soup!
So creamy, flavorful and delicious (even my non-vegan husband loved it, went back for seconds, and said, "Mark it 5 stars!")
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Fantastic! We love to hear it!
Katie says
Made the recipe exactly as written. My cashews took more than 15min to soften, about 20min. Otherwise everything turned out as you said. Delicious! Will make again for sure.
Tamar says
Wow Sam, what a soup! It didn't go so well with the grandkids, but the grownups devoured it all! Definitely a recipe for keeps! Thnx.
Susan Pearson says
made this for lunch today and its amazing! can see myself making it again and again. pre ordered your book months ago, can't wait for it to arrive so I can try more recipes!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Wonderful, thanks Susan!
Paul says
One of the best homemade soups I’ve ever had! I roasted an extra bulb of garlic to throw in(I overbought and had some I needed to use up), and even with the added garlic, the flavor was not overpowering at all.
The recipe is perfect exactly as it is, but the cream base would be wonderful in so many things - I’m betting a cream of broccoli or some kind of a chowder would be great using this as a template. As we head into the winter months, I’m definitely going to be making this again and again.
I can’t wait for I try some more recipes from the cookbook this came from. As soon as I finish writing this, I’m ordering a copy.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
We love that! Yes, it would make a great base and we can't wait to hear how you use it through the winter.
Debbie Lee says
Can frozen spinach or kale be substituted? If so, how much?
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Yes that should work just fine! You can add as little or as much you prefer, if it is packed tight probably 1/2-1cup.
KitKat says
I made this recipe today and luscious is a perfect way to describe this soup! I added potatoes and a splash of mirin. Thank you Sam for another lovely and creative recipe.
kme says
Great! Thank you!
kme says
This recipe looks amazing! Thanks Sam!!
Did you mean to put a note in about the raw cashews(there is a "see notes" by cashews in ingredient list)? Maybe a possible substitution? which would be great for my tree nut allergic daughter! If so, I don't see it.
Will definitely be making this! Thanks again!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much! That note was just a typo. But for a substitution try raw sunflower seeds. 🙂