Miso Soup with Atsuage and Garlic Chives
みそ汁（生揚げ・にら） · Namaage to Nira no Misoshiru
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
This is one of the everyday miso soups from our preschool lunch menu: cubes of atsuage (thick fried tofu) and tender garlic chives in a gentle bonito and kombu dashi. Atsuage keeps its shape in the pot and soaks up the broth, and its soft, slightly chewy texture is easy for small children to manage. Garlic chives (nira) are much milder once simmered, so even children who are wary of green vegetables tend to eat them happily in soup. Pouring boiling water over the atsuage first removes the excess frying oil, keeping the soup light and clean-tasting.
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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 gatsuage (thick fried tofu)Blocks of tofu deep-fried so the outside is golden while the inside stays soft. Substitute: Firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed and pan-fried until golden on all sides.
- 10.5 ggarlic chives (nira)Flat-leaved chives with a mild garlic flavor, sold in bunches at Asian markets. Substitute: Scallion greens with a little minced garlic.
Seasonings
- 180 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.
- 7.2 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
- atsuage (thick fried tofu) (生揚げ)
- Blocks of tofu deep-fried so the outside is golden while the inside stays soft. Substitute: Firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed and pan-fried until golden on all sides.
- garlic chives (nira) (にら)
- Flat-leaved chives with a mild garlic flavor, sold in bunches at Asian markets. Substitute: Scallion greens with a little minced garlic.
- 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
Pour boiling water over the atsuage to remove the excess oil, then cut it into 1 to 2 cm pieces.
- 2
Cut the garlic chives into 2 cm lengths.
- 3
Bring the dashi to a boil in a pot, add the atsuage and garlic chives, and simmer.
- 4
Once everything is tender, dissolve the miso into the soup.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 70.5 kcal | 141 kcal | 70.5 kcal |
| Protein | 5.7 g | 11.4 g | 5.7 g |
| Fat | 4.7 g | 9.3 g | 4.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1.5 g | 3 g | 1.5 g |
| Salt equivalent | 1.2 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g |
| Calcium | 108 mg | 216 mg | 108 mg |
| Iron | 1.4 mg | 2.7 mg | 1.4 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 70.5 kcal | 5.7 g | 4.7 g | 1.5 g | 1.2 g | 108 mg | 1.4 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 141 kcal | 11.4 g | 9.3 g | 3 g | 2.4 g | 216 mg | 2.7 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.
