Traditional Japanese Noodle Soup

Description
This is a tasty recipe I got while searching the web for a simple recipe to use for a demo speech for my Intro to Speech class. My family loves this and were surprized on how tofu can be a really tasty dish! The sorce comes from Women.com Networks and Hearst Communications Inc.



Ingredients

 * 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
 * 6 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1 inch pieces
 * 3 medium green onions, thinly sliced
 * 1 tablespoon grated peeled gingerroot
 * 1 (1.1 ounces) package shiro instint miso soup mix (White Soybean-paste soup)
 * 1 large carrot, cut crosswise into thirds,then cut lenghwise into matchstick-thin strips
 * 1 medium red pepper
 * 3 slices lemon, rind of 3 x 1 inch
 * 1 bunch watercress, tough stems removed
 * 8 ounces of dried udon noodles or linguine
 * 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions
In nonstick 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, in hot vegtable oil, cook tofu, green onion, and ginger for 5 mintues or until golden brown. In 4-quart saucepan over high heat, heat 8 cups of water to a boil. Add soup mix, noodles, carrot, red pepper, lemon peel, crushed red pepper, and tofu mixture. Boil for a few mintues Reduce heat to a low simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Cook until veggies are tender and noodles are loose. Then, stir in watercress until it wilts. Serve immediatly because the noodles will absorb the soup quickly.<BR>