Komatsuna Soup
小松菜のスープ · Komatsuna no Sūpu
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) is a leafy green with a mild flavor and tender stems that hold their shape in soup better than spinach does. Here it goes into a simple consommé broth with matchstick carrots and small pieces of bacon, which add just enough savory depth that children happily drink up their greens. The komatsuna is blanched separately and stirred in right before serving so it keeps its bright color and does not turn mushy in the pot. If you cannot find komatsuna, bok choy or spinach make an easy substitute.
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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
- 15 gcarrot
- 6 gbacon
- 15 gkomatsunaA mild Japanese leafy green (Japanese mustard spinach) with tender stems. Substitute: Spinach or bok choy.
Seasonings
- 150 gwater
- 0.6 gconsommé bouillon (granules or cube)Japanese-style Western soup stock powder or cubes, similar to chicken or vegetable bouillon. Substitute: Chicken or vegetable bouillon granules or a bouillon cube.
- 0.5 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.
- consommé bouillon (granules or cube) (コンソメ)
- Japanese-style Western soup stock powder or cubes, similar to chicken or vegetable bouillon. Substitute: Chicken or vegetable bouillon granules or a bouillon cube.
Directions
- 1
Cut the carrot into short, thin matchsticks and cut the bacon into 1 cm wide strips.
- 2
Cut the komatsuna into 2 cm wide pieces and boil it.
- 3
Put the water, consommé and carrot in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the bacon and simmer.
- 4
Season with the salt to taste, then add the komatsuna from step 2 just before serving.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 33 kcal | 66 kcal | 33 kcal |
| Protein | 1 g | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Fat | 2.4 g | 4.8 g | 2.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2 g | 3.9 g | 2 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 30 mg | 60 mg | 30 mg |
| Iron | 0.5 mg | 0.9 mg | 0.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 33 kcal | 1 g | 2.4 g | 2 g | 0.8 g | 30 mg | 0.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 66 kcal | 2.1 g | 4.8 g | 3.9 g | 1.5 g | 60 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.
