A quick Japanese-style soup for fall and winter, this is as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate. Use chopsticks for “slurping” the noodles.

Serves: 6

• 1 small butternut squash
• 3 cups water
• 4 ounces soba (buckwheat noodles), broken in half
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, to taste
• 2 cups strong vegetable stock or
  1 15-ounce can vegetable broth
• 5 to 6 ounces fresh spinach, preferably triple-washed,
  stemmed, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup frozen green petit peas, thawed
• 2 to 3 tablespoons miso, dissolved in 1/4 cup
  warm water, or more to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Bake or microwave the butternut squash until easily pierce with a knife but still firm, then let it cool. When cool enough to handle, peel the squash and scrape out the seeds. Cut it into large dice, and set aside until needed.

Bring the water to a simmer in a soup pot or steep-sided stir-fry pan. Add the soba and ginger and cook until the noodles are al dente.

Add the stock, spinach, and peas, and cook just until the spinach is wilted but still bright green. Stir in the miso, then taste to adjust if you’d like more. Season to taste with pepper and serve at once.

• Here are more easy Asian-style noodle soup recipes. ^[1]