Asian-Inspired Pork and Noodle Soup

A while back I ran across this recipe.  Ever look at a recipe and know, in your heart, that it's just not going to work?  That was this one for me - I knew from looking at it that it would be way to bland for my family.  I mean really - if nothing else, where's the garlic???  Why not cook the noodles in the broth and impart some extra flavor in them?  So I put my own spin on it and it turned out splendidly.

I don't think this actually needs all the flavor enhancers I used.  It became a sort of "everything in the fridge" broth for me.  You could easily increase the amount of one or two of them and leave something out. You could also play around with the vegetables - carrots, celery, kohlrabi, whatever you have on hand would be great. 

Asian-Inspired Pork and Noodle Soup

For the broth:
1 1/2 quarts chicken broth (I used homemade)
2T white miso paste
2T low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 t. sriracha sauce (or more to taste)
1 t. fish sauce
2 t. fresh ginger root, minced
4 cloves garlic, sliced

For the soup:
6 oz. spaghetti, rice noodles, or other thin pasta
4 cups cabbage or bok choy, thinly sliced (I used Napa)
1/2 cup sliced green onion
2 cups white mushrooms, thinly sliced
8 - 10 ounces cooked pork, sliced thin (I used some leftover grilled pork I had in the freezer)

In a medium pot (I used a 3 quart), bring the broth ingredients to a boil.  Add the pasta (I broke my spaghetti into 2 - 3 inch lengths), return to a boil, and cook for 6 minutes.  Stir in remaining ingredients and boil for 5 - 10 minutes more, until vegetables are wilted and pasta is cooked through.

Serve with extra sriracha sauce on the side for those who like to spice it up a little!