Roasted Garlic and White Bean Soup with Rosemary
Garlic is often the quiet background note in cooking, but when you give it time — slow roasting until it turns golden and soft — it becomes something else entirely. Sweet, nutty, almost buttery. This soup is a love letter to that transformation. It’s simple, rustic, and deeply comforting. White beans add creaminess and protein, rosemary brings grounding warmth, and the roasted garlic is the star, turning a handful of humble ingredients into something that feels like pure nourishment in a bowl.
Serves
8
Cook Time
Dietary
Nut-Free
Ingredients
- 2 whole bulbs of garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 tins (400g each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 750ml vegetable stock
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- Optional: drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and toasted sourdough to serve
Method
- Roast the garlic. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Slice the tops off the garlic bulbs to expose the cloves, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 30–35 minutes until soft and caramelised.
- Start the soup base. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onion and cook gently until translucent. Stir in rosemary.
- Add beans and stock. Tip in the cannellini beans and pour over the stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Blend with garlic. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins straight into the pan. Blend until smooth and creamy (add more stock if you prefer it thinner).
- Finish. Season generously with salt, black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and enjoy with toasted sourdough.
A Wellness Note
Garlic is a natural powerhouse — antibacterial, antiviral, and rich in compounds that support immune health. Paired with beans for fibre and protein, this soup is as strengthening as it is soothing.
It’s the kind of recipe you turn to on cold evenings, or when you feel a little run down — food that warms, heals, and comforts all at once.
