Pumpkin udon noodle soup

With the beautiful, brightly fleshed pumpkins around at the moment, it's good to find as many different ways to consume them as possible! This is a recipe I've recently discovered, and am enjoying this new way of appreciating the flavour and texture of pumpkin. It combines so well with spinach and udon, and the gentle saltiness of dashi stock really brings its sweetness. It's also nice having it in a soup, but still in chunks, as opposed to the traditional pureed pumpkin soup.
Dashi stock is available from most health food stores and japanese grocery stores.

Pumpkin udon noodle soup
1. Cut half a small pumpkin into 2cm cubes. Remove the stems from two fresh shitake mushrooms and slice the caps into 3cm pieces.
2. Make 750ml dashi stock. Combine in a saucepan with 1tbs mirin, 1 tbs soy sauce and 1/2tbs sugar and bring to the boil, stirring.
3. Peel and julienne one carrot and add to the stock, and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add the pumpkin, mushrooms and 1/2 package of sliced silken tofu and cook for a further five minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender.
5. Cook half a package of udon noodles in boiling water for five minutes, drain and place in a bowl.
6. Add 1/3 bunch english spinach to the soup and then remove from heat.
7. Ladle the soup, vegetables and spinach over the noodles, and scatter with green onions.
Serves 1.