Oyster Mushroom and Spinach Miso Noodle Soup

I have been issued a challenge from a friend, a pregnant one at that, to make "easy" Asian soups that she could recreate with little to no effort. This is my third go at it, and I would count it among the "successes." The problem with make a good tasting but also easy soup is the broth. Yes, one can make a fabulous broth from scratch. But that wasn't my challenge. So, feel free to label this recipe as "blasphemous" but I'm taking the simple route by beginning with an organic, low sodium chicken broth base. Then, I tried, and successfully I believe, at supplementing flavors with seasoned soy bean paste, ginger,oyster sauce, soy sauce and yes (more blasphemy) miso soup mix (but only the good stuff). And although the picture features chicken, honestly, I would leave it out. Honestly, its texture competed too much with the silkiness of the oyster mushrooms, spinach and Shirataki Noodles. (And a small, personal disclosure before I delve into the wildly simple recipe. I totally ate like 1/4 of a box of Samoas after I ate this healthy dinner. Ooops!)

Ingredients: 1 32 oz box organic, low sodium chicken broth 2 tbsp seasoned soy bean paste 1 packet miso soup mix (only because I couldn't find miso paste or powder) 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp oyster sauce (you could sub fish sauce) 2" chunk of ginger root 2 packets Shirataki noodles chicken breast (optional) 7 oz oyster mushrooms 1 bag of spinach 1 package dried seasoned seaweed

Instructions: 1. In a large pot (one that has a fitted lid, I used my Dutch Oven, my love) combine the chicken broth, soy bean paste, miso soup mix, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Cover the pot. 2. Thinly slice your ginger, about 1/4 inch thick and add it to the pot. (It doesn't really matter how you cut it. The point is simply to expose the interior and let the flavors bleed into the broth.) 3. Allow these flavors to cook together, covered, on a medium low heat for 30-45 minutes. 4. If you're adding chicken, you can add the whole breast until cooked, slice it thin and return it to the soup. 5. Add the Shirataki noodles and bring the soup to a boil for 2 minutes to loosen the noodles. 6. Add the spinach, oyster mushrooms and dried seaweed (there really are no exact quantities that matter here at this point people). 7. Cover the soup and let the spinach and mushrooms cook for another 3-5 minutes. 8. Serve and Enjoy! Go ahead and add some spice with Sriracha or something if you so desire. :)