How to make it:

1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and a pinch of salt and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic, oregano, and several cracks of black pepper. Cook for another minute, until fragrant.

• Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until the carrots are very tender.

• Carefully blend with an immersion hand blender and blend until completely smooth. If transfering to a blender, be very cautious!, it can explode from the steam and heat of the contents. By blending, the vegetables become the creamy body of the soup without adding cream. You can choose to blend it all or reserve some pieces prior for added texture.

• If using miso paste, place a tablespoon of it into a small bowl and ladle in about ½ cup of the hot soup. Whisk until the miso is completely dissolved and smooth. Stir the mixture back into the pot. Do not boil the soup after adding the miso.

• Bring the broth back to a gentle simmer. Stir in the ditalini and cook according to the package directions, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom. The pasta will continue absorbing the broth as it sits. If the soup is thicker than you'd like, add a little more broth or water.

• Stir in 1–2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice. Taste before adding salt—the miso already provides quite a bit of seasoning. Add black pepper and additional salt if needed.

• Ladle into bowls and finish with fresh parsley, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of good olive oil.

Tips:

• Build flavor before adding the broth. Don't skip sautéing the onion and carrots in olive oil. Letting the vegetables get a little color before adding the broth makes a noticeable difference.

• Add a Parmesan rind if you’re not vegan. Parmesan rind is a classic Italian soup trick and adds incredible savory depth. Since this version is vegan, use a vegan Parmesan rind if you have one, or replace that flavor with 1–2 tablespoons nutritional yeast stirred in at the end.

• White miso adds a subtle savory depth that helps replace some of the richness you'd normally get from chicken broth and Parmesan. The goal isn't for the soup to taste like miso soup, it should simply taste more flavorful and well-rounded. Start with 1-1½ tablespoons and add more if you want a deeper savory flavor.

• Use good olive oil. A drizzle of fruity extra-virgin olive oil over each bowl gives the soup a surprisingly big boost of flavor.

• Finish with lemon. Just a small squeeze of lemon juice wakes up the sweetness of the carrots and keeps the blended soup from tasting flat.

• Add fresh herbs. Fresh parsley is an easy Italian-style finish. You could also add a little fresh basil if you have it.

• Don't under-salt the soup. Because the ingredients are so simple, seasoning is especially important. Taste after blending and again after adding the pasta, adding salt as needed.

• Try a soffritto. For even more traditional Italian flavor, add a small amount of finely diced celery along with the onion and carrots. Onion, carrot, and celery cooked together in olive oil form the classic Italian soffritto and create a flavorful base for soups and sauces.

• Make it extra savory. A small spoonful of white miso or nutritional yeast can add that umami quality that you normally get from Parmesan or chicken broth while keeping the soup vegan.