Miso soup

Step 1: Put 3 ¼ cups water, ⅓ oz kombu (dried kelp) and 2 dried shiitake mushrooms in a pan and soak for as long as you can: 30 minutes gives the best flavour, but even 5 minutes works. For quick weekday soup, soak overnight in the fridge.

Step 2: Heat slowly over a medium-low heat. Lift out the kombu when small bubbles cling to it and the water is about to boil; left in boiling water, kombu turns slimy and bitter. then simmer the shiitake for 3 minutes and lift them out too (slice them back in if you like).

Step 3: Soak 2 tsp dried wakame seaweed in a small bowl of cold water for 5 minutes, until it swells. Drain.

Step 4: Add 5 ½ oz silken tofu and the wakame to the dashi and warm through for 1 minute over a low heat.

Step 5: Put 3 tbsp white or mixed miso in a ladle or small sieve, dip it into the pan and stir with chopsticks until it dissolves. Taste and add a little more miso if you like. From now on, keep the soup below boiling, or the miso loses its aroma.

Step 6: Ladle into bowls and scatter with 2 spring onions. Serve straight away.