Chinese-style vegetable soup with gai lan, shiitake and silken tofu

Finely chop the garlic and the ginger. Chop the green onions, keeping whites and greens separate.

Dice the carrot. Slice the shiitake mushrooms.

Strip the gai lan leaves and roughly chop them; trim the stalk ends and cut the stalks into bite-sized pieces. Chop the baby corn into bite-sized pieces.

Slice the silken tofu in half through the package, then into quarters and medium-sized chunks, handling it gently.

Heat a saute pan over medium heat with about a tablespoon of avocado oil and saute the garlic, ginger and green onion whites four to five minutes.

Add the umami powder, salt and white pepper and stir to combine.

Add the carrots, gai lan stalks, shiitake mushrooms and one litre of water, stir, turn the heat up and bring to a boil.

Add the baby corn and the gai lan leaves and stir.

Add the soy sauce and the toasted sesame oil.

Make a slurry of three tablespoons of potato starch and one cup of water. Pour in half and stir well.

Let the soup come back to a boil, then pour in the remaining slurry while stirring, until it is glossy and thick.

Add the silken tofu, turn off the heat and stir gently.

Plate the soup and top with fresh green onions and a sprinkle of white pepper.