Step 1

Gently rinse the kombu piece. Place it in a medium pot with the water and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Don’t let it boil, or the kombu flavor will turn bitter.

Step 2

Soak the wakame in a small bowl of warm water for at least 5 minutes to rehydrate.

Step 3

Remove the kombu from the soup. In a small bowl, stir the miso paste together with some of the hot broth until the mixture is smooth, then stir it back into the soup.

Step 4

Drain the wakame and add it to the soup pot along with the scallions and tofu. Simmer over very low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Season, to taste, with tamari.