MONDAY MISO NOODLE SOUP

Soothing, easy and restorative, this is my ideal Monday night dinner. It will set you up nicely for the week. Although I always prefer a one-pan recipe, you do need two pans to keep things moving along. However, make it worthwhile by cooking extra noodles and eggs for the week ahead, so think of this recipe as both your Monday night dinner and an investment for the week ahead. You could add them to a Waste Not, Want Not Bowl for a packed lunch. Not to worry if you can’t get seaweed, but do look out for it. Serves 4

10g (about 8 tablespoons) seaweed, such as dulse or arame

330g buckwheat noodles

1 tablespoon coconut oil

3cm piece of ginger, finely chopped or grated 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (or to taste)

1 bunch of spring onions, sliced

200g shiitake mushrooms, roughly sliced 1.2 litres stock/bone broth or water

4 eggs, at room temperature

1 cabbage (400g), shredded

MISO STIR-IN

2 tablespoons miso paste (or to taste) 1 tablespoon hot water

Juice of ½ lemon

TO SERVE

Toasted sesame oil, for drizzling

1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

½ lemon, cut into 4 wedges

Sea salt

1. Soak the seaweed (if using) in water according to the packet instructions, then drain, rinse in fresh water and roughly chop before setting aside. Boil the kettle.

2. Fill a saucepan with boiling water and cook the noodles according to the packet instructions until al dente (about 5 minutes instead of the usual 6–8), then drain, rinse with cold water to stop them cooking, and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, melt the oil in a second, larger saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, chilli and white parts of the spring onions and fry for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a medium simmer to cook for 2 minutes and then add the cooked noodles back to the pan to heat through for 1 minute before removing from the heat.

5. While the mushrooms are simmering, fill the original pan with boiling water and lower the eggs into the pan. Simmer over a medium heat for 6½ minutes (for a just-runny yolk), then cool the boiled eggs under cold water, peel and halve.

6. Remove the soup pan from the heat, drop in the shredded cabbage and the soaked seaweed, then mix together the ‘miso stir-in’ in a small bowl and stir through the soup.

7. Divide the soup among four bowls, add the egg halves and top with the remaining chopped spring onions and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Sprinkle the egg halves with sea salt and black sesame seeds and serve with a lemon wedge if you wish.

USE IT UP

Any cabbage will do here, or swap it for pak choi, broccoli or any leafy greens, and use any mushrooms you have.