Miso Soup with Bok Choy and Turnip
みそ汁（チンゲン菜・かぶ） · Misoshiru (Chingensai, Kabu)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is the everyday soup of Japan, and in preschool kitchens it changes with the seasons depending on which vegetables go in. This version pairs turnip, which turns sweet and tender as it simmers in dashi, with bok choy for a pop of green. The turnip becomes soft enough for even the youngest children to manage, and the mild miso broth is one that kids happily drink to the last drop. Blanching the bok choy separately keeps its color bright, but if that feels like too much on a busy evening, simmering it all together works just fine.
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
- 18 gbok choy
- 30 gturnip
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
- 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 pieces and boil in hot water for 3 minutes. (Blanching it separately keeps the color bright, but if that is too much trouble, you can simmer it with the rest of the soup instead.)
- 2
Cut the turnip into 2 cm quarter-rounds (icho-giri).
- 3
Put the dashi stock and turnip in a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- 4
When the turnip is soft, dissolve the miso into the soup, then add the bok choy and stir to combine.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 18 kcal | 36 kcal | 18 kcal |
| Protein | 2 g | 3.9 g | 2 g |
| Fat | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g | 6 g | 3 g |
| Fiber | 1.2 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 102 mg | 204 mg | 102 mg |
| Iron | 0.9 mg | 1.8 mg | 0.9 mg |
| Potassium | 256.5 mg | 513 mg | 256.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 18 kcal | 2 g | 0.3 g | 3 g | 1.2 g | 0.8 g | 102 mg | 0.9 mg | 256.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 36 kcal | 3.9 g | 0.6 g | 6 g | 2.4 g | 1.5 g | 204 mg | 1.8 mg | 513 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.
