Miso Soup with Cabbage and Potato
みそ汁(キャベツ・じゃがいも) · Miso Shiru
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is on the table at almost every Japanese school lunch, and this cabbage and potato version is one of the gentlest. Cabbage turns sweet and tender as it simmers, and the potato gives the soup a soft, filling bite that young children love. The cabbage is cut into small squares so it fits on a toddler's spoon, and the miso goes in last so its flavor and aroma stay fresh.
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
- 15 gcabbage
- 30 gpotato
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 cabbage into 1 cm squares and cut the potato into thick quarter-rounds (icho-giri).
- 2
Bring the dashi stock to a boil in a pot, add the vegetables from step 1, and simmer.
- 3
Once the vegetables are tender, dissolve the miso into the soup.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 31.5 kcal | 63 kcal | 31.5 kcal |
| Protein | 1.8 g | 3.6 g | 1.8 g |
| Fat | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7.5 g | 15 g | 7.5 g |
| Fiber | 3.2 g | 6.3 g | 3.2 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 16.5 mg | 33 mg | 16.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg | 0.6 mg | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 262.5 mg | 525 mg | 262.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 31.5 kcal | 1.8 g | 0.3 g | 7.5 g | 3.2 g | 0.8 g | 16.5 mg | 0.3 mg | 262.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 63 kcal | 3.6 g | 0.6 g | 15 g | 6.3 g | 1.5 g | 33 mg | 0.6 mg | 525 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.





