Miso Soup with Bok Choy and Kabocha Squash
みそ汁（チンゲン菜・かぼちゃ） · Misoshiru (Chingensai, Kabocha)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is served alongside almost every Japanese school lunch, and the vegetables change with the season. This version pairs naturally sweet kabocha squash with bok choy, so even children who are wary of greens tend to drink it happily. The kabocha is cooked in dashi until soft, and the bok choy goes in right at the end so it stays bright green and tender rather than stewed.
Wheat-free, but uses miso (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
- 22.5 gbok choy
- 30 gkabocha squashSweet, dense Japanese pumpkin with dark green skin and orange flesh. Substitute: Butternut squash or another sweet winter squash.
Seasonings
- 150 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.
- 4.5 gmisoFermented soybean paste. Salty and savory, it is Japan's everyday seasoning for miso soup and many simmered dishes. Substitute: Any light (white or awase) miso. Misos differ in saltiness, so start with a little less and taste. Some misos are made with barley or wheat, so check the label if you avoid them.
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- kabocha squash (かぼちゃ)
- Sweet, dense Japanese pumpkin with dark green skin and orange flesh. Substitute: Butternut squash or another sweet winter squash.
- 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.
- miso (みそ)
- Fermented soybean paste. Salty and savory, it is Japan's everyday seasoning for miso soup and many simmered dishes. Substitute: Any light (white or awase) miso. Misos differ in saltiness, so start with a little less and taste. Some misos are made with barley or wheat, so check the label if you avoid them.
Directions
- 1
Cut the bok choy into 2 cm (3/4 in) pieces and boil.
- 2
Trim off only any blemished parts of the kabocha skin, then cut the squash, skin on, into 1.5 cm (about 1/2 in) cubes.
- 3
Bring the dashi stock to a boil in a pot, add the kabocha and simmer.
- 4
Once the kabocha is soft, dissolve in the miso, then add the bok choy just before serving.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 36 kcal | 72 kcal | 36 kcal |
| Protein | 1.8 g | 3.6 g | 1.8 g |
| Fat | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 8.1 g | 16.2 g | 8.1 g |
| Fiber | 1.5 g | 3 g | 1.5 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 37.5 mg | 75 mg | 37.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Potassium | 298.5 mg | 597 mg | 298.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 36 kcal | 1.8 g | 0.5 g | 8.1 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g | 37.5 mg | 0.6 mg | 298.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 72 kcal | 3.6 g | 0.9 g | 16.2 g | 3 g | 1.5 g | 75 mg | 1.2 mg | 597 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.
