12-Plant Ragu

Method

1. Soak the broth mix in cold water for a few hours.
2. Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with 250ml of boiling water. Let soak for 15–20 minutes until softened.
3. While the mushrooms are soaking, prepare the vegetables. Finely chop the onion, carrots and fresh mushrooms (keep the mushrooms separate). A food processor will do this very quickly.
4. In a large, heavy-based pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and sauté for 8-10 minutes until softene
5. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1–2 minutes.
6. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the fresh mushrooms to the pan and sauté for 5–7 minutes until the mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown and stick to the bottom of the pan.
7. While the fresh mushrooms are cooking, remove the porcini mushrooms from their soaking water and finely chop them. Reserve the soaking liquid. Add the porcini mushrooms to the pan and let cook for another 2-3 min.
8. Stir in the tomato paste, soy sauce, smoked paprika, dried thyme, and bay leaf. Cook for 2–3 minutes to allow the flavours to blend.
9. Pour in the red wine (or a bit of stock) to deglaze the bottom of the pan and let it simmer for 2–3 minutes until slightly reduced.
10. Add the chopped tomatoes, stock, and reserved mushroom soaking liquid. Stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
11. At this point, strain the broth mix from its soaking liquid and add to the pan. Cover the pan and let the ragu simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it's looking too thick at any point, add a bit more water (or stock, if you have more).
12. Just before the ragu is done cooking, dissolve the white miso paste in some hot water until no lumps remain, and stir it into the ragu.
13. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
14. Serve with pasta, rice or on a baked potato.