Fresh

• 170 g (5¾ oz) eggplant (aubergine), halved lengthways and cut into 5 mm slices
• 3 cups (750 ml) Basic Dashi Stock (or use powdered dashi)
• ⅔ cup (20 g) rocket (arugula)

Pantry

• 4 teaspoons white sesame seeds
• 5 teaspoons tahini
• ¼ cup (60 ml) red miso

Gently toast the sesame seeds in a small frying pan over low heat, shaking the pan from time to time to prevent burning. As soon as you hear the sesame seeds popping, take the pan off the heat and leave them to cool down.

Transfer the sesame seeds to a suribachi or mortar and coarsely grind them.

Heat a chargrill pan over high heat. Grill the eggplant for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Heat the dashi in a saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling, then reduce the heat to low.

Mix the tahini and miso in a small bowl, then add a ladle of dashi stock. Mix until the miso has dissolved, then pour the liquid back into the pan. Heat again until just below boiling point – do not allow the soup to boil.

Arrange the grilled eggplant in a bowl and pour the soup over the top. Serve topped with the sesame seeds and rocket.