Miso Soup with Bok Choy and Bean Sprouts
みそ汁（チンゲン菜・もやし） · Miso Shiru (Chingensai, Moyashi)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is on the table at almost every Japanese school lunch, and this version pairs crisp bean sprouts with tender bok choy in a bonito and kombu dashi. Bok choy (chingensai) turns soft and mild once blanched, so even children who are wary of leafy greens tend to slurp it up along with the broth. We blanch the greens separately and add them right before serving so they keep their bright color instead of turning drab 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
- 18 gbok choy
- 22.5 gbean sprouts
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
- 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 bean sprouts into short pieces. Cut the bok choy into 2 to 3 cm wide pieces and blanch it.
- 2
Bring the dashi to a boil in a pot and simmer the bean sprouts.
- 3
When the bean sprouts are soft, stir in the miso until it dissolves, then add the blanched bok choy just before serving.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 21 kcal | 42 kcal | 21 kcal |
| Protein | 2.1 g | 4.2 g | 2.1 g |
| Fat | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.4 g | 4.8 g | 2.4 g |
| Salt equivalent | 1.2 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g |
| Calcium | 34.5 mg | 69 mg | 34.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 21 kcal | 2.1 g | 0.5 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g | 34.5 mg | 0.6 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 42 kcal | 4.2 g | 0.9 g | 4.8 g | 2.4 g | 69 mg | 1.2 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.
