This wonderful soup comes from the Smitten Kitchen. It's the simplest of ingredients with such great flavor. Yes, there are a lot of carrots involved but carrots are really on the cheap. I can pick up a 5 lb bag of organic carrots for under $5 making this a very inexpensive soup to prepare (double the recipe and store in the freezer for later if you like). The miso costs a bit more at around $8-9 a tub but will last up to a year + in the fridge. If you follow my recipes you will be sure to use it more than once. The miso compliments this soup beautifully making it a classic favorite. I love miso for its flavor and health benefits, it is quite unusual and irreplaceable. The only changes I made to Deb's recipe was adding a little tofu to round this soup out with some protein. I have chosen to use a silken tofu, sliced and topped with a bit of cayenne for a little kick of spice. The tofu is soft and silky blending in almost seamlessly with each bite and the cayenne adds a bit of warmth. So delicious! Feel free to omit the tofu if you're not a fan. And if you are a fan, feel free to add more for extra protein.