Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Place the peeled garlic cloves in a small baking dish, drizzle them with 1/4 cup of olive oil, and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Roast the garlic in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cloves are slightly golden brown and soft. Keep an eye on them to ensure they don't burn. Once roasted, let the garlic cool slightly before handling.

While the garlic is roasting, peel and cut the potatoes into cubes. Place the cubed potatoes in a pot, cover with water, and add a generous pinch of sea salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook the potatoes until they are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes well after boiling.

Add the drained, boiled potatoes (from Step 2) to a blender along with the roasted garlic cloves (from Step 1, without the oil), 1 to 1.5 cups of vegetable broth, 1/4 cup soy cream or oat cream, 3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes, and 1 tsp onion powder (if using). Season with black pepper. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. If the soup is too thick, add more vegetable broth to adjust the consistency, and blend briefly again. Taste and season with sea salt and more black pepper if needed. I like to add a touch more broth to keep the soup luxuriously creamy.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Cut the day-old bread into small cubes, spread them evenly on the prepared tray, and toss with olive oil (garlic-infused oil works well) and a sprinkle of black pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the croutons are golden brown and crispy. Let them cool briefly before serving.

Ladle the hot, creamy garlic potato soup into bowls. Top each serving with a drizzle of soy cream or some of the reserved garlic-infused oil from roasting, and garnish with the crispy bread croutons from Step 4. I like to finish each bowl with a grind of fresh black pepper for an aromatic touch.