Japanese-style spinach soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 200 g noodles (udon noodles), alternatively spaghetti
• 250 g spinach
• 2 spring onions
• 8 mushrooms (shiitake mushrooms) alternatively mushrooms
• 1 liter vegetable stock or broth
• 4 tbsp spice paste (miso paste)
• 3 tbsp soy sauce, Japanese style
• 1 tbsp sesame oil, toasted
• Cayenne pepper, to taste

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 5 minutes; Total time approx. 20 minutes

Cook the noodles, drain, and divide them among 4 bowls. While the noodles are cooking, cut the spinach into 2-cm pieces, slice the spring onions into rings, trim the mushroom stems, and score the mushroom caps crosswise. Bring the broth and mushrooms to a boil. Simmer for about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and simmer for another 2 minutes. Remove 1 cup of the broth and stir the miso paste into it until it has completely dissolved, then return the broth to the pot. Do not boil! Season the soup with soy sauce, sesame oil, and cayenne pepper to taste. Pour over the noodles in the bowls.