Chinese-Style Soup with Komatsuna and Bean Sprouts
中華スープ（小松菜・もやし） · Chuka Soup
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
This is the clear, gently seasoned soup that shows up on the preschool lunch tray whenever the main dish leans Chinese - alongside fried rice, mabo tofu or gyoza. Chinese-style chicken stock gives it a savory base, and bean sprouts and komatsuna (a mild Japanese mustard green - spinach or bok choy works too) add crunch and color without any bitterness. We cut the vegetables short so they fit on a small spoon, and the komatsuna goes in only at the very end so it keeps its bright green color rather than turning dull in the pot.
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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
- 19.5 gbean sprouts
- 22.5 gkomatsunaA mild Japanese leafy green (Japanese mustard spinach) with tender stems. Substitute: Spinach or bok choy.
Seasonings
- 150 mlwater
- 0.6 gchicken stock powder (Chinese-style)Japanese granulated chicken bone soup base used for Chinese-style soups and stir-fries. Substitute: Chicken bouillon granules or powder.
- 0.3 gsalt
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- komatsuna (こまつな)
- A mild Japanese leafy green (Japanese mustard spinach) with tender stems. Substitute: Spinach or bok choy.
- chicken stock powder (Chinese-style) (鶏ガラスープの素)
- Japanese granulated chicken bone soup base used for Chinese-style soups and stir-fries. Substitute: Chicken bouillon granules or powder.
Directions
- 1
Cut the komatsuna into 2 cm lengths and boil it.
- 2
Cut the bean sprouts into 2 cm lengths.
- 3
Put the water and chicken stock powder in a pot and bring to a boil, then add the bean sprouts from step 2 and simmer.
- 4
Once the bean sprouts are tender, season with salt, and add the komatsuna from step 1 just before serving.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 6 kcal | 12 kcal | 6 kcal |
| Protein | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1 g | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Fiber | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Calcium | 40.5 mg | 81 mg | 40.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Potassium | 127.5 mg | 255 mg | 127.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 6 kcal | 0.6 g | 0 g | 1 g | 0.8 g | 0.3 g | 40.5 mg | 0.6 mg | 127.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 12 kcal | 1.2 g | 0 g | 2.1 g | 1.5 g | 0.6 g | 81 mg | 1.2 mg | 255 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.
