Gudakusan-jiru (Chunky Vegetable Miso Soup)
具だくさん汁 · Gudakusan-jiru
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Gudakusan-jiru literally means "soup with lots of fillings," and that is exactly what it is: a homey miso soup that leans more toward the vegetables than the broth. Carrot, potato, daikon and onion simmer gently in dashi until they are soft enough for little ones to manage, then a spoonful of miso rounds everything out. It is one of the easiest ways to get a good helping of vegetables into children at lunchtime, and the mild, sweet flavor of the simmered onion and potato makes it an easy sell even for picky eaters.
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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
- 9 gcarrot
- 22.5 gpotato
- 15 gdaikon radishA large, mild white Japanese radish that turns tender and sweet when simmered. Substitute: Turnip or kohlrabi, or regular radish.
- 15 gonion
Seasonings
- 150 gbonito and kombu dashiJapanese soup stock made from dried bonito flakes and kombu kelp, the everyday base for soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a light vegetable or chicken stock.
- 4.5 glight rice misoA pale, salty rice miso, the standard everyday miso in Japan. Substitute: Any light, white, or awase (blended) miso.
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- daikon radish (だいこん)
- A large, mild white Japanese radish that turns tender and sweet when simmered. Substitute: Turnip or kohlrabi, or regular radish.
- bonito and kombu dashi (かつお・昆布だし汁)
- Japanese soup stock made from dried bonito flakes and kombu kelp, the everyday base for soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a light vegetable or chicken stock.
- light rice miso (米みそ（淡色辛みそ）)
- A pale, salty rice miso, the standard everyday miso in Japan. Substitute: Any light, white, or awase (blended) miso.
Directions
- 1
Cut the carrot, potato, and daikon into thin quarter-rounds (ichō-giri). Cut the onion in half crosswise and slice it thinly.
- 2
Put the dashi and the vegetables from step 1 in a pot and simmer until soft.
- 3
Once the vegetables are soft, dissolve the miso into the soup.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 34.5 kcal | 69 kcal | 34.5 kcal |
| Protein | 1.8 g | 3.6 g | 1.8 g |
| Fat | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 6.8 g | 13.5 g | 6.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 19.5 mg | 39 mg | 19.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.5 mg | 0.9 mg | 0.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 34.5 kcal | 1.8 g | 0.3 g | 6.8 g | 0.8 g | 19.5 mg | 0.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 69 kcal | 3.6 g | 0.6 g | 13.5 g | 1.5 g | 39 mg | 0.9 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.
