Miso rice soup with crab

Serves 4

Rice in broth is like chicken soup to me – food for the soul. Cooking the rice in stock gets it really flavoursome and the heat from the chilli, savouriness from the miso, crunch from the vegetables and sweetness from the crab come together to make it the most delicious of soups.

250g/8oz sushi rice
1¼ litres/2 pints light chicken stock
1 tbsp miso paste
¼ tsp sesame oil
¼ tsp rice wine vinegar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
200g/7oz cooked white crab meat
100g/3½oz mangetouts, shredded
4 spring onions, shredded
½ tsp dried chilli flakes

Put the rice in a colander and wash it under cold running water until the water runs clear.

Tip it into a large pan with the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the rice is cooked.

Add the miso paste, sesame oil and vinegar, then pour in the egg, stirring as you go.

Ladle into soup bowls, and serve with the crab meat, mangetouts, spring onions and chilli flakes so that people can add to their own broth.