Spicy Mushroom Asian Soup

It happened again! I was watching ABC's The Chew and one of the chefs made something I had to try! I've made something from all the chefs now! I've made...
   Carla Hall's Seared Tuna Sandwich with Ginger Lime Slaw
   Clinton Kelly's Spinach Artichoke Dip
   Daphne Oz's Cauliflower Alfredo
   Michael Symon's Cheesecake with Pretzel Crust
and last but not least Mario Batali's Bananas Foster Crepes

This time it was back to Daphne Oz. It was a spicy Asian soup. The soup had all sorts of nutritional benefits to get you out of the winter blues. Mushrooms provide you with Vitamin D which makes up for a lack of exposure to sunlight; ginger has anti-inflammatory effects that help alleviate winter joint pain as well as aids in nutrient absorption; spinach has iron and Vitamin K which is great for bone health. With all these wonderful benefits I knew this soup would be a win-win-win... too many wins to count!

Daphne Oz's Spicy Mushroom & Noodle Soup from The Chew
   Time 30 min | Serves 4
Ingredients
Oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
1 Red chili, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup dried shitake mushrooms
2 quarts water
2 cups spinach
1 package rice vermicelli noodles (cooked to package instructions)

Directions

   Heat a medium sauce pot with a few tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and sweat over medium heat until soft. Add the garlic, ginger and chili and cook for 2-3 more minutes until fragrant and chili is slightly soft.

   Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, dried mushrooms and water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until mushrooms are rehydrated and flavors have infused the water. Strain out mushrooms, thinly slice, and then return to the broth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Add the spinach and remove from heat.

   Divide the rice noodles between heat proof soup bowls. Pour some simmering broth into eat bowl to cover noodles.
   Serve soup warm.

Patrick and I both enjoyed this and agreed we should have it again! Instead of water I used our homemade chicken stock which added another layer of flavor. One other thing we did differently was the greens. Earlier in the week we made Patrick's favorite stir fry and had leftover bok choy. I added the heartier light green parts of the bok choy to the soup when I added the onions. I also added in some carrots here too. Finally the bok choy leafy greens replaced the spinach.