In a large heavy pot, combine all the ingredients above the line. Bring to a boil, then cover, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and slice thinly, discarding the tough portions. Strain the broth and return it to the pan. Add the tofu and mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes. Dissolve the miso in a small amount of the broth, stir it into the soup, then immediately remove the pot from the heat. Garnish with minced garlic chive leaves and serve at once. Substitution for the Chinese garlic chives: 1 clove garlic and twice as much volumn of fresh chives. Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #198 Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1996 15:01:20 -0700 (PDT) From: PatH NOTES : This recipe makes one Japanese Miso - a seawood and mushroom= flavored vegetable broth. Strain the broth and return mushrooms to pot. = Then add tofu, Chinese chives, and agar (a thickener made from seaweed).=20 Quick soup: check the import section of the grocery. Buy 1 envelop= (or box) Japanese Miso with Mushroom. Make according to package directions.= Taste and add red pepper flakes and a little rice vinegar to taste. Add= tofu and heat through. The packaged soup contains the agar to thicken the= broth. Do add Chinese chive. (Ive used society garlic - well cleaned.)