Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, sweet potato), cubed
  • 1 large red onion, quartered
  • 2 medium red bell peppers, deseeded and chopped
  • 1 head garlic, top sliced off
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp cracked black pepper
  • 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Note: Make sure the oven is fully preheated so the veg starts sizzling immediately.
  2. Toss the cubed root vegetables, onion, and peppers on a large rimmed sheet pan with olive oil, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir until every piece is glistening with oil.
  3. Wrap the garlic head in foil with a drizzle of oil and place it on the corner of the pan. Note: Tightly sealing the foil traps the steam inside the garlic.
  4. Roast for 25–30 minutes until the edges are mahogany colored and the vegetables are tender. You should smell a deep, toasted aroma filling the kitchen.
  5. Transfer the roasted vegetables and all the flavorful oil from the pan directly into a Dutch oven. Note: Don't leave that oil behind; it's where all the concentrated flavor lives.
  6. Squeeze the softened garlic cloves out of their skins into the pot. They should slide out like a buttery paste.
  7. Stir in the vegetable broth and drained cannellini beans.
  8. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Wait until you see small, slow bubbles breaking the surface.
  9. Use an immersion blender to pulse the soup 3–4 times. Stop as soon as the broth looks creamy but you can still see chunks of veg.
  10. Stir in the spinach and lemon juice until the greens are just wilted and a vibrant green.