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3 To prepare the soup, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the leek, carrot, daikon, garlic, and ginger, and sauté until the leek is wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the pork with its marinade and the button mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the broth, baby corn, if using, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and black pepper.

4 Drain the shiitake mushrooms, reserving the soaking water. Slice and add to the soup. Drain the lily buds and wood ears, if using, and add to the soup. Add the tofu.

5 Bring the soup to a boil. Mix the cornstarch with the reserved shiitake soaking liquid. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the soup, stirring to prevent lumps. Taste for seasoning and add more soy sauce, vinegar, or pepper as needed.

6 Remove the soup from the heat. Add the eggs, pouring in a slow, thin stream. Stir the soup once in a circular motion, just until the eggs appear as ribbons. Serve at once.

Kitchen Note: The long soaking of the shiitakes in cold water gives them a silken texture. If you forget to start them early enough, use boiling water instead of cold water and soak for at least 10 minutes.

Do you have a kinder, more adaptable friend in the food world than soup? Who soothes you when you are ill? Who refuses to leave you when you are impoverished and stretches its resources to give a hearty sustenance and cheer? Who warms you in the winter and cools you in the summer? Yet who also is capable of doing honor to your richest table and impressing your most demanding guests? Soup does its loyal best, no matter what undignified conditions are imposed upon it. You don’t catch steak hanging around when you’re poor and sick, do you?

— Judith Martin (Miss Manners)

Udon with Bok Choy and Tofu

Serves 4

Noodle soups are comfort food, whatever their origins. This Japanese version is prepared with a traditional broth called dashi, made from kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), both readily available wherever Asian foods are sold. The broth has a mysterious, almost smoky flavor that makes it a perfect match for the udon noodles, bok choy, tofu, and shiitake mushrooms.

DASHI

8 cups water

1 (6-inch) piece kombu (kelp)

1/3 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)

¼ cup tamari, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons mirin or dry sherry

1 teaspoon sugar

SOUP

3 shiitake mushrooms, sliced (remove and discard the stems)

12 ounces dried udon noodles

1 head bok choy, trimmed and sliced

1 leek, trimmed and very thinly sliced

1 pound silken tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 To make the dashi, combine the water and kelp in a saucepan and let soak for 1 to 2 hours. Add the katsuobushi and bring to a boil. Boil for 4 minutes, then strain and discard the solids. This is the dashi. Flavor the dashi with the tamari, mirin, and sugar. Add the mushrooms and let simmer while you prepare the noodles.

2 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the package directions. Drain well and rinse with hot water.

3 Add the bok choy, leek, and tofu to the dashi. Heat until the bok choy is wilted but still crisp and the leek is tender, about 5 minutes.

4 Divide the noodles among four large bowls. Ladle the broth, vegetables, and tofu over the noodles, and serve immediately.

Kitchen Note: If you can’t find udon, substitute vermicelli pasta.

Variation: Vegetarian Udon with Bok Choy and Tofu

Substitute miso broth for the dashi.

Cabbage and Tomato Soup

Serves 4–6

Over the years I have come up with several variations of this soup. This version is the simplest and quickest, and perhaps my favorite. It is ready to enjoy in less than an hour and makes a delicious and filling supper.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive, sunflower, or canola oil

1 small head green or savoy cabbage, quartered and thinly sliced (6–8 cups)

1 onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 quart tomato purée, or 1 (28-ounce) can

6 cups chicken broth, turkey broth, or beef broth (pages 125–27)

4 ounces Spanish chorizo (or any