Soba noodle soup with spinach

I didn't base this recipe off on anything in particular, but it turned out surprisingly good! I would definitely like to make it again, with different variations of vegetables or adding some tofu.

I started by sautéing a sliced small yellow onion, half a thinly sliced carrot,

3 garlic cloves, and 1 dried star anise. I then added 1-2 Tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 veggie bouillon cube, ~8 cups water, and brought to a boil. Once boiling, I added 3 servings whole wheat soba noodles until they were cooked. When the noodles were done I sprinkled in red pepper flakes, a few handfuls of baby spinach, and some green onions. You can add salt or soy sauce to taste.

I made a side salad of grated carrots, sliced cucumber, green onion, and some leftover baked tofu cubes. The dressing was varying amounts of rice vinegar, sesame ginger dressing, peanut butter, brown sugar, and sriracha. I served the vegetables and dressing on a bed of baby spinach.