Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for miso mushrooms on toast

Cooking for myself is one of my favourite things. There is no dinner by consensus and no fussy eaters to consider (except myself). I can choose whether to eat just a little or obscene amounts, add extra heat or perhaps lick the plate afterwards. And I can do it all while watching series two of Sex Education on Netflix.

When the opportunity arises, I like to make something by foraging in the fridge and the cupboard, and the formula goes a bit like this: something fresh (like mushrooms) with some quick flavour (miso) on toast. Always toast.

Miso mushrooms on toast

Prep 5 min
Cook 10 min
Serves 1

Light olive oil
1 reasonable hunk ciabatta, halved
1 tsp brown rice miso
2 tsp white shiro miso
200g mushrooms – a mixture of wild and chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
10 chives, very finely sliced

Related: Meera Sodha’s vegan wild mushroom miso broth recipe | The New Vegan

First toast the bread. Set a large, nonstick frying pan on a medium to high heat and drizzle a little oil over both sides of the bread. When hot, fry the bread for two to three minutes on each side, until golden, then transfer to a plate.

Put the two miso pastes in a small bowl, add two tablespoons of water, mix to combine and set aside.

Using the same pan, heat a couple of tablespoons of oil over a medium to high flame and, when hot, add the mushrooms, making sure they all have room to cook. Leave to cook undisturbed for four minutes, until they turn a shade of golden brown, then stir in the garlic and cook for another two minutes.

Pour in the miso mixture – be careful, it may splatter – and turn the heat right down. The mixture will quickly bubble up and the liquid frazzle away, and you’ll be left with a thick glaze around the mushrooms. Stir in the chives, then tip the lot on to the ciabatta. Drizzle with a little oil, if you wish, and serve immediately.