Miso

• For two people, heat two bowls of dashi in a pot. Here is how you make dashi. It is the easiest of all stocks to make from scratch.

• Add a tablespoon of mirin and a few drops of sesame oil, if you have.

• Don't upset the stock. You are going to add miso paste, and miso paste does not like bubbles. Keep it below boiling, and ladle some of the stock into a bowl.

• Whisk a tablespoon per person of miso paste into the bowl. You can get light paste, and dark paste, and everything in between. I went for a medium one.

• Once combined, pour back into the pot.

• Now add your garnishes. I put sliced shitake mushrooms, tofu and spring onion.

• Serve immediately.

What did it taste like? This soup is deeply satisfying, complex but light. The umami moreishness creeps up on you gradually and unexpectedly. The silky soft tofu melts in the mouth, the mushrooms are earthy, and the onion adds freshness and bite. Half an hour after finishing my soup, I was smacking my lips for more.

Tips: 

1. There are lots of different shortcuts to making dashi and miso, but really, this is so simple that it's worth trying if you have access to a Japenese supermarket.
2. Try out different miso pastes, mix different ones and see what you like. I was totally happy with my medium paste, and will use it in other recipes for dressings and sauces. The lady in the shop told me it keeps for six months in the fridge. 
3. There are also different types of tofu, I got a soft one, but you can get firmer ones too.