Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cut the top quarter off both garlic bulbs to expose the cloves inside, then place them cut-side up on a small piece of foil. Drizzle with 1.5 tablespoons of the olive oil, wrap the foil around them loosely, and roast for 40-50 minutes until the cloves are golden and completely soft. While the garlic roasts, you can prepare everything else—this is the perfect time management strategy since roasting happens independently.

While the garlic roasts, dice the onion into small pieces and slice the leek (white and light green parts only) into thin half-moons. Peel and dice the carrots into roughly 1/2-inch pieces, chop the celery into small pieces, and peel the potatoes, cutting them into 1-inch chunks. Measure out your broth and have the bay leaf, thyme, caraway seeds, and spices ready. Having all your ingredients prepped before the pot heats ensures smooth cooking and prevents any scrambling.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons avocado oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, sliced leek, caraway seeds, and salt, stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes until the vegetables are very soft and translucent—this slow cooking develops a sweet, mellow foundation for your soup. I like to let these aromatics cook a bit longer than the minimum time; it really deepens the underlying flavor of the finished soup.

Stir in the diced carrots and celery, cooking for 5 minutes to soften them slightly. Pour in the vegetable broth and add the potato chunks and bay leaf, then bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are completely tender and break apart easily with a fork.

Remove the bay leaf from the soup. Squeeze the soft, roasted garlic cloves out of their skins directly into the pot—they'll have a mild, sweet, almost nutty flavor that's completely different from raw garlic. Add the fresh thyme, black pepper, and smoked paprika, stirring to combine. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it reaches your desired consistency—I prefer a mostly smooth soup with just a few small potato pieces remaining for texture, but you can blend it completely smooth if you prefer. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Ladle the warm soup into bowls and serve immediately with your choice of toppings such as crusty bread, fresh herbs, crispy croutons, or a drizzle of good olive oil.