The tasty item to add to stir fry that you 'didn't know you needed'

Just one ingredient could totally transform your stir-fry and it's a simple addition that will make a huge difference. A rich spoonful of miso will add intensity of flavour to your meal.

Its salty taste is perfect for stir-fry sauces, amplifying flavor without being overpowering. You can stir it into mixtures of rice vinegar, soy sauce, mirin and sesame oil near the end of cooking. Miso comes in varieties from mild white to a stronger red, allowing versatility for any stir-fry.

A little bit goes a long way and miso has a potent flavour means you can achieve depth while using less salt.

Tasting Table says: "Miso paste is the salty spread you didn't know you needed. Miso is comprised of a few main ingredients including cooked soybeans, salt, and a mold culture called koji.

"There are three types of miso - all of which you can include in your stir fry recipe. White miso, or Shiro, is made with barley koji and white rice. Its flavor is somewhat sweet and contains the least amount of salt of the miso types.

"Red miso, which is made with rice, soybeans, or barley, is much darker in color and has a fuller, saltier flavor. Yellow miso has some sweet undertones but more obvious acidic tones."

Miso paste is the unsung hero of a good stir-fry, it enriches the dish with profound umami while also having nourishing qualities.

You can add as much or as little as you like depending on how strong you want the flavour to be.

Kathey's Vegan Kitchen says: "I used white miso paste. Miso is the ultimate reference point for the flavor sensation known as umami.

"The paste and the soup have a deep savory flavor with a toasty, funky, salty-sweet richness. This umami flavor forms the base of a lot of everyday Japanese cooking."

If you're looking for a way to upgrade your stir-fry and give it a more traditional taste, adding miso to your meal could be the perfect way to enhance flavour.