Miso soup

Bring three cups of water to a boil.

Turn down the heat when it boils; add the shiitake mushrooms (optional) and kombu and simmer 7 to 10 minutes.

Set aside the mushrooms and kombu.

Whisk a generous tablespoon of miso paste through a sieve into the soup.

Add firm tofu.

Carefully remove the stalks from the shiitakes and slice the kombu into smaller sheets.

Heat the mushrooms and kombu in the soup, then plate.