miso soup with tofu

I was planning to make this miso soup but I forgot to pick up some dried wakame (seaweed) when we were at the Asian food store. So for now, I just want to post this recipe derived from The Book of Japanese Cooking by Emi Kazuko, one of the many cookbooks from our favorite series published by HPBooks. The ingredients are available in Japanese or Asian food stores. As requested by fellow foodie Ces of Spices and in connection with my previous post on salmon in miso broth, here's the recipe for miso soup with tofu:

2 tbsps. dried wakame (seaweed)
3 tbsps. miso
4 oz. firm tofu, cut into tiny dice
1 green onion, finely chopped
Ground sansho pepper (optional)

STOCK:
2 cups second dashi or 2 1/2 cups water
and 1 to 2 tsps. dashi no-moto (freeze-dried dashi powder)

First make the broth by adding dashi no-moto to boiling water and stirring to dissolve. Lower heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes, then remove from heat and strain through a fine sieve. Meanwhile, soak the wakame in plenty of water 10 to 15 minutes until fully opened up. Drain and cut the wakame into small pieces, if necessary.

Put the miso in a teacup and mix with a few spoonfuls of the stock. Return the stock to a low heat (do not boil) and add the diluted miso. Add the wakame and tofu to the pan and increase the heat. Just before it reaches boiling point, add the finely chopped onion and immediately remove from the heat. Do not boil. Serve hot in individual soup bowls. Sprinkle with a little ground sansho pepper, if desired. Makes 4 servings.