Japanese Mushroom Soup

Pour the stock in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, turn the heat low and add the garlic. Season with a little pepper. Let the stock and garlic simmer for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, clean the white mushrooms using a brush. Slice them up and transfer them to a ceramic baking dish. Microwave the mushrooms on high for 5 minutes until tender and brown. Don’t throw away any mushroom juice that might appear after microwaving them. This will flavor the soup as well. Put the cooked mushrooms aside until needed later.

Add the sliced ginger to the soup and cook for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and lemon juice (you can also add a little white wine vinegar instead if you like). Bring the soup to a rolling boil again and then stir in the cooked mushrooms. Take the pan off the heat. Check the seasoning and add extra pepper, soy sauce or lemon juice to taste if necessary.

Scoop the mushrooms soup into large bowls and serve piping hot.