Hot & sour soup

• 5g dried porcini mushrooms
• 50g fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 1.2 ltr vegetable stock
• 225g tinned bamboo shoots, drained and shredded
• 225g ready marinated tofu, cut into thin strips
• 2 small red chillies, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp shoyu
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 4 tbsp water
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 spring onions, shredded

1 Soak the dried porcini in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain – strain liquid through muslin or kitchen paper and reserve. Wash and slice the porcini.

2 Remove and discard the stalks of the shiitake mushrooms. Slice the remaining cups.

3 In a saucepan mix the reserved mushroom liquid with the stock, add the sliced porcini and shiitake and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.

4 Add bamboo shoots, tofu and chillies and simmer for further 5 minutes.

5 Add the vinegar and shoyu

6 Mix the cornflour with a little water into a paste, add to soup stirring all the time, simmer until slightly thickened.

7 Remove from heat, season with the sesame oil and garnish with shredded spring onion.