Vegan noodles with miso mince

Step 1

Soak dried shiitake in 240 ml / 1 cup boiling water as much in advance as possible to soften them.

Step 2

Chop white and light green part of spring onions into 2.5 cm / 1 inch segments, keep the green tops for garnish. Chop ginger into fine dice. Cut stems off rehydrated shiitake and discard, mince the cups very finely with a sharp knife (or in a mini chopper), crumble tofu well with your hands.

Step 3

Cut broccoli into same size segments and steam them until knife tender, about 5-6 minutes. Alternatively stir-fry them in more oil, then set them aside and keep the wok for step 5.

Step 4

Dilute miso in a splash of shiitake stock, grate a clove of garlic into it, add chilli paste (I used gochujang) if using.

Step 5

Heat up a wok until it just begins to smoke, then add half a tablespoon of oil and swirl it around. Follow by white and light green segments of spring onions and chopped ginger. Stir-fry on a low-medium heat for 30 seconds.

Step 6

Push aromatics to the side, add the other half of oil, followed by minced shiitake and crumbled tofu, turn the heat up and stir fry for a couple of minutes.

Step 7

Add the sauce and stir fry until all of the excess mixture evaporates. Transfer to a plate and set aside, don't worry if the wok isn't perfectly clean.

Step 8

Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup and sesame oil in a small bowl, you can also add about a tablespoon of dark soy sauce for colour (but that's not necessary).

Step 9

Add ramen noodles to the wok and the rest of shiitake stock. Keep on flipping the noodles in the stock gently and teasing them apart with a spatula until they soften and unravel.

Step 10

Season cooked noodles with the sauce you prepared in step 8 and return tofu-shiitake mixture to the pan and stir well to combine. Season with extra soy sauce if needed.

Step 11

Divide between two or three bowls, serve with steamed broccoli and sprinkled with spring onion tops sliced finely.