Soak the Kombu, Wakame, ginger and shitake mushrooms in 3 cups of water in a saucepan for 30 minutes.
Now bring the soaked mixture to a boil.
Simmer for 30 minutes.
Strain out the kombu, wakame, and mushrooms saving the liquid.
Slice the Wakame and kombu and cut the stocks off shitake mushrooms and chop finely, and slice mushroom caps in half and return to stock
Add the spinach leaves and tofu if you are adding it.
Simmer on medium heat till spinach leaves have wilted. Turn heat off.
Add the miso. (Never boil miso because that kills the live cultures which are so beneficial). Stir the miso thoroughly into the water and then add this back to the pot. As Miso is high in sodium, adjust how much you add to taste.
Now serve your delicious miso soup.
Notes
*This miso is the most suitable as it is smooth and creamy tasting.....it has a velvety texture and almost sweet taste.