1/2 cup dry orzo

14 asparagus spears, woody ends discarded, spears sliced into 1/4-inch coins, tips left intact

1 cup shelled fresh peas (1 pound in the pod)

4 red radishes, sliced into 1⁄16-inch coins

2 tablespoons best-quality olive oil, plus more for topping

2 tablespoons 1/4-inch chopped fresh chives (or a finely chopped scallion)

1. Bring the vegetable stock to a low simmer over high heat in a medium saucepan. Immediately reduce the heat to maintain a steady, low simmer and whisk in the miso until dissolved. Add the Parmesan rind or piece of Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the orzo, reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a low boil, and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Carefully add the asparagus and peas; stir to combine. If needed, adjust the heat to return to and maintain a simmer. Continue to cook the pasta and vegetables until the pasta is tender and the peas and asparagus are crisp-tender, another 4 to 5 minutes (9 to 10 minutes total cooking time).

3. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in about three quarters of the radishes, the oil, 1/4 cup of finely grated Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon of chives. Adjust salt to taste. Ladle the soup into individual bowls for serving. Top each with a generous drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of the remaining Parmesan, and add the remaining radishes and chives. Serve with freshly grated black pepper for topping.

Vegetable Stock

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