Here is a recipe for a tasty vegetarian broth made from Kombu (kelp) and shitake mushrooms. Kombu is one of those things that are full of minerals and really good for you. Something my mother always tells me to eat. I would use this in place of vegetable stock, add to chawanmushi (steamed egg curd), or use as a base for miso soup.

When I lived in Northern China, I often saw older ladies and aunties harvesting bundles of green seaweed by the sea. They earned the title “Sea Women” from the locals which I found rather amusing. Those trips to the fish market were quite exotic and I remember seeing starfish, the tiniest river lobsters, and spangled-looking fish. I think of those days with fondness, and laugh at how I tried to cook lobsters in my dorm room. Making these recipes make me recall a lot of the shabu-shabu (Japanese hot pot), light broths and dishes I had growing up in Taipei.

Ingredients
5-6 dried shitake mushrooms, rinsed
A handful of Kelp (wipe clean with a paper towel gently, do not rinse)

Instructions
Add ingredients with 2-3 cups of water in jar or container. Leave to soak for a few hours. I keep mine in the fridge overnight. Discard the kombu but you can slice and add the shitake mushrooms into the soup.

*Add bonito flakes for a richer, non-vegetarian broth. I made the mistake of washing my kombu for the first time and realized the white residue on top is what brings the umami flavour to the soup. You can wipe the kombu gently with a paper towel instead of rinsing it.