Curry Soup
カレースープ
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
This curry soup is a preschool lunch staple: a light dashi broth with pork and plenty of vegetables, warmed up with just a touch of curry powder rather than a heavy roux. A little potato starch gives the broth a gentle body that clings to the vegetables, which makes it easier for small children to scoop up with a spoon. The spinach is boiled separately and stirred in right before serving, so it keeps its bright green color instead of turning the whole pot murky. Kids who are wary of vegetables often happily finish a bowl once there is a hint of curry in it.
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
- 37.5 gthinly sliced pork (komagire)Small, thin offcuts of pork sold in Japan for quick stir-fries and simmered dishes. Substitute: Thinly sliced pork shoulder or loin cut into bite-size pieces.
- 16.5 gcarrot
- 7.5 gonion
- 19.5 gbean sprouts
- 22.5 gspinach
Seasonings
- 210 gdashi stockJapanese soup stock, usually made from kombu (dried kelp) and/or bonito flakes; the base of most Japanese soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a mild unsalted chicken or vegetable stock.
- 2.1 gsoy sauce
- 1.5 gmirinMirin is a sweet Japanese rice seasoning that adds gentle sweetness and a glossy finish. Hon-mirin (true mirin) contains about 14% alcohol; "mirin-style seasoning" has little or no alcohol. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: For each tablespoon of mirin, use 1 tablespoon water plus 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar.
- 0.8 gsalt
- 0.2 gcurry powder
- 2.4 gpotato starch (katakuriko)Japanese potato starch used for thickening sauces and coating fried foods. Substitute: Cornstarch: start with the same amount and add a little more if it is still thin. It thickens a little less than potato starch and needs a couple of minutes at a gentle bubble to reach full thickness.
- 2.4 gwater
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- thinly sliced pork (komagire) (豚こま切れ肉)
- Small, thin offcuts of pork sold in Japan for quick stir-fries and simmered dishes. Substitute: Thinly sliced pork shoulder or loin cut into bite-size pieces.
- dashi stock (だし汁)
- Japanese soup stock, usually made from kombu (dried kelp) and/or bonito flakes; the base of most Japanese soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a mild unsalted chicken or vegetable stock.
- mirin (みりん)
- Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice seasoning that adds gentle sweetness and a glossy finish. Hon-mirin (true mirin) contains about 14% alcohol; "mirin-style seasoning" has little or no alcohol. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: For each tablespoon of mirin, use 1 tablespoon water plus 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar.
- potato starch (katakuriko) (かたくり粉)
- Japanese potato starch used for thickening sauces and coating fried foods. Substitute: Cornstarch: start with the same amount and add a little more if it is still thin. It thickens a little less than potato starch and needs a couple of minutes at a gentle bubble to reach full thickness. Read the guide: Katakuriko (Japanese Potato Starch) and What to Use Instead → Guide: japanese-school-lunch.com/articles/katakuriko-potato-starch/
Directions
- 1
Cut the pork into 1 to 2 cm wide pieces. Cut the carrot into thin quarter-rounds (icho-giri), halve the onion lengthwise and slice it thinly, and cut the bean sprouts into 2 cm lengths.
- 2
Cut the spinach into 2 cm lengths and boil it.
- 3
Put the dashi stock and carrot in a pot and bring to a boil, then add the onion, bean sprouts and pork and simmer until tender.
- 4
Add the seasonings and simmer a little longer. To finish, stir in the potato starch dissolved in water to thicken the soup. Add the spinach from step 2 just before serving.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 97.5 kcal | 195 kcal | 97.5 kcal |
| Protein | 9.5 g | 18.9 g | 9.5 g |
| Fat | 4.1 g | 8.1 g | 4.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 6.9 g | 13.8 g | 6.9 g |
| Fiber | 1.7 g | 3.3 g | 1.7 g |
| Salt equivalent | 1.2 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g |
| Calcium | 27 mg | 54 mg | 27 mg |
| Iron | 0.8 mg | 1.5 mg | 0.8 mg |
| Potassium | 510 mg | 1020 mg | 510 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 97.5 kcal | 9.5 g | 4.1 g | 6.9 g | 1.7 g | 1.2 g | 27 mg | 0.8 mg | 510 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 195 kcal | 18.9 g | 8.1 g | 13.8 g | 3.3 g | 2.4 g | 54 mg | 1.5 mg | 1020 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.
