When we were growing up, one of my brothers was particularly adventurous whenever it was his turn to cook. It was not unusual to find pieces of fruit amongst the myriad of flavours in his casseroles – earning most of his dishes the name “Mongolian Surprise”, as you never really knew what was in them.

This dish is my own Mongolian Surprise of the miso variety. Once you get the hang of making a tasty miso base, virtually any combination of vegetables can be thrown in. Note I say vegetables, not fruit….

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons white miso paste
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2.5 litres water
• 1 head broccoli
• 1/4 wombok cabbage head
• 2 carrots
• 1 bunch pak or bok choy
• 12 mushrooms
• 250g medium-firm tofu
• 3 spring onions

Method

1. Using a large saucepan, lightly stir fry all the vegetables in the soy sauce. They taste better in the soup if they’re still slightly crunchy.
2. Boil the water in a kettle. Add 1 cup of boiling water to the miso paste and mix until dissolved.
3. Add the miso/water and the rest of the boiling water to the saucepan and simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and add tofu. Serve hot! (Also tastes fantastic with vermicilli rice noodles).