Vary this recipe by using whatever green spring vegetables you like. Try it with white miso for a lighter, sweeter taste. Always cook miso gently, The enzymes it contains, beneficial to good digestion, are assisted by gentle heat but are denatured by boiling. It is said that adding a pungent flavor such as ginger, lemon or green onion (scallion) stems to miso soup just before serving will activate the enzymes, making them more beneficial.

chop green onions into rounds, keeping the white and green parts separate

cut the bok choy, keeping the white and green parts separate

heat a pan and add the oil

saute the white of onions, then the ginger

add the white of bok choy

drain and finely slice the kombu; combine the soaking water with stock

add the kombu and stock to the pan

simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes

turn heat to low and add the silken tofu

mix the miso to a paste using a little of the soup

add the miso and the greens from the onions and bok choy

cook for 5 minutes; do not boil

serve with more ginger if desired