For many, January marks a welcome return to lighter fare and a relief from the heavier foods of the holiday season. I like to pull in fresh flavors, use quite a bit of ginger, and include as many leafy greens as I can. Most of the time, those greens are in salad form, but occasionally I'll make a quick batch of soup, like this flexible, easy Mushroom Chard Soup with Soba Noodles.

This soup comes together rather quickly and is primarily flavored by the mushrooms and ginger. There's no need to be picky about the type of green you use — chard, kale, spinach, and bok choy all work just fine here. And while I left it as optional in the recipe, I recommend adding a teaspoon or two of Sriracha in with the ginger if you're feeling like you need a bit of kick — it's the right amount of spice.