You want to eat a healthy, vegetable based diet but there are some days when you also need your meal to be easy and fast…while remaining fresh. Let me suggest this veggie bowl: delicious, low-calorie, and very quick to prepare. There are many ways you can vary the ingredients according to your taste as well.

For each serving use:
1½ cups Ramen Broth
Piece of Ginger root to make about 1 Tablespoon of grated fresh ginger
1 cup Vegetable Noodles (I used beet for this recipe. Note that winter squash noodles fall apart when they cook and instead of noodles you get winter squash “rice.” Summer squash and carrot noodles are fine.)
½ cup mushrooms of your choice – I used shitake
1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
½ cup cubes of tofu – I used a half of a smoked tofu cake

• Put the broth in a sauce pan and grate the peeled ginger root into the broth.
• Bring to a simmer and add the rest of the ingredients.
• Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes on medium-low heat.
• Uncover and stir to mix the ingredients well into the broth. Cover and cook for 4 or 5 more minutes.
• Pour into a bowl and serve.

This dish is comforting, filling, tasty and under 500 calories. It took me a total of 20 minutes to make, from taking the ingredients out of the refrigerator to serving. You could add other vegetables and seasonings according to what you’re in the mood for or have on hand.

Here are the ingredients I picked up to make this dish. I’ll do it again without hesitation because it was so tasty and satisfying.