Instant soup perfect for novice cooks

College looms and we’ve been working on college skills. The obvious, like living in sweats on minimal sleep. And the far-fetched, like cooking.

Cooking does not come naturally to my pre-college girl. During her formative years, she was deprived of the fundamentals. She has rarely known the empty fridge, cold stove and gnawing doubt: What can I conjure from nothing, in no time?

In the student tradition, this instant demands no forethought, no recipe, and sullies no more than one dish. It steams hot and wholesome, satisfying the solo cook. And (secretly) her bossy mom.

Instant soup

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

2 teaspoons red miso (shelved near the tofu)

2 ounces firm tofu, cut down to small neat cubes

1 big handful (1 ounce) fresh baby spinach leaves

1 green onion, sliced into long, thin slivers

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 cup chicken broth

Soy sauce

Stack: In a large soup bowl, pile up, in order: ginger, miso, tofu, spinach and green onion. Drizzle with sesame oil. Douse with broth.

Zap: Slide bowl into the microwave and zap until hot, 2 minutes. Stir. If you like, drizzle on a little soy. Dig in.

Prep: 5 minutes. Cook: 2 minutes. Makes 1 serving.