Corn and Tofu Soup

My roommate at university and I used to eat a lot of Corn and Crab Soup. It was simple and tasty and reasonably cheap to make.

Soup Stock
4 cups water
2 dry shiitake mushrooms
1 piece kombu
1 Tablespoon soy sauce

Simmer all together until the mushrooms are soft, about twenty minutes.

The Soup
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 tsp sesame oil
3-4 cups soup stock (see above), hot
1/2 lb tofu, cubed
1 14-oz can cream-style corn
Japanese sansho pepper or white pepper
additional salt and soy sauce to taste

Saute the onion and garlic until aromatic in the sesame oil. Add to the soup stock and return to a boil. Add the tofu, corn and pepper. Allow to simmer for ten minutes to let the flavors meld. Adjust the seasoning and let simmer another ten to fifteen minutes.

Can be served with fresh cilantro garnish.