Vegan ramen

Enjoy this vegan ramen for a tasty midweek meal in just 25 minutes. Dried mushrooms and miso paste give the broth plenty of umami flavour

2 garlic cloves
thumb-sized piece ginger, sliced, plus a few slices cut into fine matchsticks to serve (optional)
1½ tbsp white miso paste
1 tbsp neri goma(white sesame paste) or tahini
15g dried shiitake mushrooms
1l good-quality vegan stock
2 tbsp soy sauce
200g firm tofu, cut into chunky cubes
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp veg or sunflower oil
100g (2 x nests) ramen or rice noodles
1 head pak choi, quartered
2 spring onions, finely sliced, white and green parts kept separate
25g ready-to-eat beansprouts
1 carrot, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
sesame oil, sriracha, chopped coriander, crushed peanuts, crumbled sheets of nori or dried chilli threads (silgochu), to serve (optional)

Crush the garlic with the back of a big knife, then put it in a saucepan with the ginger, miso, neri goma, mushrooms, stock and soy. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and bubble for 5 mins until the ginger is soft. Strain into a clean pan and discard everything left in the strainer.
Meanwhile, cook the tofu. Toss it in the cornflour and heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry for a few mins on each side, being careful as you turn it that it doesn’t fall apart. Cook the noodles for 1 min less than pack instructions, so they retain a little bite. Drain and leave in the pan with a little cooking water so they don’t stick together.
Add the pak choi and whites of the spring onions to the broth and gently reheat for 1-2 mins until the greens have just wilted.
Divide the noodles between two deep bowls, ladle over the broth and veg. Top with the tofu, beansprouts, carrot and ginger matchsticks, green parts of the spring onions and a drizzle of sesame oil, plus the other toppings, if you like.