Bok Choy with Natto
チンゲン菜の納豆和え · Chingensai no Natto-ae
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
This is a quick aemono, a Japanese dressed-vegetable side: blanched bok choy and thin strips of carrot tossed with natto, katsuobushi and a little soy sauce. Hikiwari natto is natto made from soybeans that are chopped before fermenting, so the pieces are small and coat the vegetables evenly, making it easier for little ones to eat than whole beans. The savory bonito flakes and soy sauce soften natto's distinctive flavor, and the sticky dressing helps the greens go down easily, so even children who are unsure about leafy vegetables tend to give this one a try.
Wheat-free, but uses soy sauce (made with wheat). Japanese school-lunch allergy menus usually allow it, so check with your doctor. How to read the labels
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 66 gbok choy
- 18 gcarrot
- 9.3 ghikiwari natto (chopped fermented soybeans)Natto made from soybeans that are cracked before fermenting, giving smaller pieces that are easier for small children to eat. Substitute: Regular natto, roughly chopped.
Seasonings
- 0.8 gkatsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)Paper-thin shavings of dried, smoked skipjack tuna that add a savory, smoky depth as a topping or stock base. Substitute: A pinch of dashi powder, or omit.
- 1.8 gsoy sauce
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- hikiwari natto (chopped fermented soybeans) (挽きわり納豆)
- Natto made from soybeans that are cracked before fermenting, giving smaller pieces that are easier for small children to eat. Substitute: Regular natto, roughly chopped.
- katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (かつお削り節)
- Paper-thin shavings of dried, smoked skipjack tuna that add a savory, smoky depth as a topping or stock base. Substitute: A pinch of dashi powder, or omit.
Directions
- 1
Cut the bok choy into 2 cm wide pieces and cut the carrot into short, thin strips.
- 2
Boil the bok choy and carrot separately, then rinse under cold running water to cool.
- 3
Squeeze out the excess water, then toss the vegetables with the hikiwari natto, katsuobushi and soy sauce.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 33 kcal | 66 kcal | 33 kcal |
| Protein | 2.8 g | 5.7 g | 2.8 g |
| Fat | 0.9 g | 1.8 g | 0.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4.2 g | 8.4 g | 4.2 g |
| Fiber | 1.8 g | 3.6 g | 1.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Calcium | 76.5 mg | 153 mg | 76.5 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg | 2.1 mg | 1 mg |
| Potassium | 303 mg | 606 mg | 303 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 33 kcal | 2.8 g | 0.9 g | 4.2 g | 1.8 g | 0.3 g | 76.5 mg | 1 mg | 303 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 66 kcal | 5.7 g | 1.8 g | 8.4 g | 3.6 g | 0.6 g | 153 mg | 2.1 mg | 606 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
