Everyday Morning Miso Soup

Place the kombu in a pot with 4 cups of cold water. Let it soak for at least 10 minutes if time allows, or proceed directly to heating.

Set the pot over medium heat and bring it slowly to just below a boil. Watch carefully and remove the kombu right before the water reaches a full boil. Allowing kombu to boil makes the stock slimy and bitter.

Once the kombu is removed, bring the water to a gentle boil and add the katsuobushi (bonito flakes). Let them steep for about 30 seconds, then turn off the heat and allow the flakes to sink, about 2 minutes.

Strain the dashi through a fine mesh sieve lined with a paper towel. Discard the bonito flakes. Return the clear dashi to the pot.

While making the dashi, rehydrate the dried wakame in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Bring the dashi back to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add the tofu cubes and let them warm through for 2 minutes without stirring vigorously, as silken tofu breaks apart easily.

Reduce heat to low. Place both miso pastes in a ladle, submerge the ladle partially in the broth, and whisk the miso into the liquid using chopsticks until fully dissolved. Never add miso directly into boiling liquid.

Add the drained wakame and most of the sliced green onions. Stir gently once and remove from heat immediately.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with the remaining green onions. Serve immediately while the aroma is at its peak.