Instructions: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a 2.5 quart pot. Wipe the kombu lightly with a damp cloth, then drop into the water, making sure that it is well submerged. Turn off the heat. Leave the kombu in the water 2 -3 min.

Remove the kombu. (Save it for use in other recipes - works well in beans or veggie soups).

Add the carrot, onion, mushrooms, and lemon peel to the kombu broth. Bring to a boil again, cover, and simmer on low heat for 5 min. Turn off the heat.

Put miso in a small sieve. Partially submerge the sieve in the soup and press out the miso with a wooden spoon. [I found this too difficult since my sieve has too fine a mesh - I just scraped out the miso into the broth and mashed it against the sides of the pot to dissolve it.]

Bring to a boil again. Just as the first bubbles form, turn off the heat.

Stir the soup and ladle into soup bowls (lidded Japanese bowls are best

[she says]. Sprinkle each bowlful with the 7-spice seasoning [I omitted this, the soup is very flavorful without it] and serve immediately.

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