Purple laver, known as nori in Japanese, is rich in iodine and other minerals. You can leave out the pork and dried shrimp and enjoy this as a vegetarian soup, too. Add one or two beaten egg whites at the end, if desired.

Steps

1. Rinse purple laver and soak in cold water for 30 minutes. Rinse again to get rid of grit and drain.
2. Soak dried shrimp in cold water for 1 hour, retaining liquid.
3. In a bowl, combine pork, salt, soy sauce, sugar, vegetable oil, and cornstarch, and marinate for 30 minutes.
4. In a large pot, combine 2½ quarts of hot water and purple laver, and bring to a boil. Add dried shrimp along with their soaking liquid, pork and tofu, and return to a boil. Stir in minced ginger and chopped green onion, and serve immediately.