Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Start by cutting up your produce and adding it to a parchament lined baking sheet. For the tomatoes, slice them in half length-wise and place them facing up. Coin the carrots and roughly chop the onion (the pieces can be bigger as they will be blended) and add them to the baking sheet. Drizzle everything with a generous amount of olive oil.
For the garlic: Slice the top part of the head off the garlic. Remove the white paper-like outer edges of the garlic head, leaving the other layer and the cloves intact. Wrap in a small piece of foil with a tiny drizzle of olive oil and add to the baking sheet with the rest.
Bake the sheet pan of produce for about 45-50 minutes at 400 degrees F or until the tomatoes are bubbly and the carrots, onion, and garlic are tender and soft.
The next step is blending. Here you have 2 options. (1) add the roasted veggies to a large, heat-safe blender (I used my Vitamix) along with the basil leaves and water. Or (2) add the roasted veggies, water, and basil leaves to a large pot and use an immersion hand blender to blend the soup. Either option, blend until completely smooth.
**Note: when adding the roasted garlic to blend, gently squeeze the cloves out of the head and throw away the remaining. Let cool to the touch if necessary.
Once your soup is blended, add to a large pot and mix in the seasonings: Italian blend, paprika, salt, and pepper (more to taste if you need). Let simmer for about 15 minutes or so to really let the flavors combine.
Garnish with red pepper flakes or fresh basil leaves. Serve with your favorite bread, grilled cheese, salad, and more. Enjoy!
Notes
Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Reheat on the stove on medium heat until warmed, or in the microwave covered with a paper towel.