Japanese Style Noodle Bowl - Reprint for a friend

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My sure fire feel good food for the cold and flu season is Japanese style noodle bowl. Very easy and fast to make, and there's nothing like the vapor powers of ginger and garlic steaming you as you slurp the noodles. Yes, it is a cultural requirement to slurp (I love that part best!!!) 

Here is my version. It contains Miso paste, which I find at my local health food store. To use miso, mix it with a small amount of hot liquid, and mash it with the back of a spoon to get it to dissolve.  

If I have time, I will steep some Kombu in the broth and remove it before making the soup. This is a fragrant edible sea kelp that has a lovely flavor and taste, but you can make it without.  Kombu is found at my local health food store. 

1 1/2 quart/box of chicken stock (unsalted is best as miso is salty)
1 heaping T miso paste
1 tsp minced garlic
3 T fish sauce
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 C T low sodium soy sauce
Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer the above ingredients in a saucepan. In a large pot, boil 1 pkg. of udon noodles in salted water. (If you can't find or don't have udon, you can substitute any long style pasta like linguini or spaghetti.) Drain and reserve.
The last minute of cooking the broth, I stir up three raw eggs in a small bowl, and stream in to the simmering soup.
To serve, use a deep sided bowl, and layer in noodles, fresh spinach if you like, and the hot broth. Serve with chopsticks, and slurp, slurp!!!