A warm, salty broth where miso is the whole foundation, built quickly from pantry and one fresh thing. This is how to finish a half jar before it hardens in the back of the fridge.

Serves 2. 15 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 190 calories a serving, 11 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 13 g fat. From USDA figures for 83% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a pot. Slice 2 garlic cloves thin and warm them in 1 tablespoon oil in the pot until fragrant, about one minute.5 min
2. Stir 3 tablespoons miso into the hot water until it dissolves completely, then taste and adjust salt if needed. The broth is ready when there are no grainy bits left.
3. Tear 4 ounces greens into bite-sized pieces and slide them into the broth, then crack 2 eggs into the pot one at a time. Stir gently so the whites set and the yolk stays whole, about two minutes.2 min

Note Swap any quick-cooking green or even frozen spinach for the fresh. The broth keeps three days refrigerated; reheat gently and add a fresh egg or a handful of noodles to stretch it. Serve alone or with rice on the side.

A bowl of hot noodles in a deeply flavoured broth made from miso, built in minutes. The miso is the whole foundation here, so use what you have on the shelf and stretch it into something warming that tastes like it took longer than it did.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 290 calories a serving, 16 g protein, 41 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat. From USDA figures for 86% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Mince 2 garlic cloves fine. When the water boils, add the garlic and stir 3 tablespoons of miso in a small bowl with 1 cup of the hot water until smooth, then pour it back into the pot and stir well; the broth is ready when fully combined.8 min
2. Add 3 ounces of dried noodles to the broth and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes, stirring halfway through. While the noodles cook, bring a small pot of water to a boil for the eggs.
3. Lower 2 eggs gently into the small pot of boiling water and set a timer for 7 minutes for soft-boiled eggs. Tear 3 ounces of hearty greens into bite-sized pieces.7 min
4. When the noodles are tender, add the torn greens to the broth and stir until just wilted, about 1 minute. Divide the broth and noodles between two bowls.1 min
5. When the eggs are done, peel and halve them under cool running water. Set one halved egg in each bowl, crack a pinch of salt and pepper over each, and serve hot.

Note Swap the greens for frozen broccoli or mushrooms if you have them; stir them in with the noodles and cook until tender. Leftover broth keeps, chilled, for three days and is even better the next day. Serve with a splash of soy sauce at the table if you keep it on hand, or a squeeze of lemon.

A warm bowl of miso broth is what you want on a tired night when the pantry is nearly bare. It takes the time to boil water and uses up that quarter tub of miso that's been sitting there. Soft egg and whatever greens you can find turn it into supper.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 190 calories a serving, 13 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat. From USDA figures for 80% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring 4 cups broth to a boil in a pot and mince 2 garlic cloves into it, then lower to a simmer. While it comes to heat, crack 2 eggs into a bowl and whisk them lightly with 1 pinch salt and pepper.8 min
2. Ladle 1/4 cup hot broth into a bowl and stir in 1/4 tub miso until smooth, then pour this back into the pot and stir well; taste and adjust salt. Do not let it boil hard.
3. Tear 4 oz greens into bite-sized pieces and stir them into the broth, then simmer for 2 minutes until soft. While they wilt, slowly drizzle the whisked eggs into the pot in a thin stream, stirring gently until threads form, then remove from heat.2 min
4. Ladle into two bowls and serve at once.

Note Swap spinach, kale, bok choy, or whatever green you have. This keeps one day chilled but is best eaten warm and fresh. Serve alone or with rice on the side to soak up the broth and stretch it further.